MDEQ Issues Temporary Advisory for Jump Off Creek

MDEQ Issues Temporary Advisory for Jump Off Creek

(JACKSON, Miss.) –The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued a temporary water contact advisory Wednesday for Jump Off Creek in the Poplarville area of Pearl River County.  A levee failure for a sludge storage lagoon at the Poplarville wastewater treatment facility resulted in the release of sludge solids into the creek.

The advisory extends on the creek from just north of Highway 26 to McNeill-Steephollow Road.

MDEQ recommends that people avoid water contact recreation such as swimming, wading, or fishing in these waters. In addition, people should avoid eating fish or anything else taken from these waters until further notice.

MDEQ staff has begun to monitor bacteria levels and water quality and will revise the advisory as needed.  MDEQ is assisting the Pearl River County Utility Authority with removing sewage solids from the creek, and the levee is being repaired.

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