FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2011
Contact: Robbie Wilbur
601/961-5277
MDEQ ISSUES TEMPORARY ADVISORY FOR PEARL RIVER NEAR JACKSON
(JACKSON, Miss.) –The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued a temporary water contact advisory Monday for the Pearl River in the Jackson area. This advisory applies to the Pearl River from the lowhead dam at the waterworks downstream to Highway 80, and to Eubanks Creek from Lakeland Drive downstream to the confluence with Pearl River. This advisory does not apply to the spillway area below the Ross Barnett Reservoir dam and does not affect the water intake for the City of Jackson.
MDEQ recommends that people avoid water contact recreation such as swimming or wading in these waters. In addition, people should avoid eating fish from these waters until further notice.
This advisory is being issued due to the discharge of untreated wastewater in the vicinity of Eubanks Creek near Lakeland Drive. These discharges appear to have occurred following recent heavy rainfall. MDEQ is working with city officials to ensure that the problems are corrected as soon as possible. MDEQ staff has begun to monitor bacteria levels and water quality in the river and will revise the advisory as needed.
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