Residents speak out about community sewage problems
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County Leaders have stepped in after maintenance issues build up in a housing development.
Some of those issues are also causing health concerns among residents at Hargrove Estates.
“We are fed up. We have really had enough of what’s going on here,” said Rhonda Patterson, a Hargrove resident of 15 years.
Residents are outraged at Hargrove Estates in Lowndes County.
Some say maintenance issues have been ignored for months.
One major problem is backed up sewage coming from a line near the community playground.
Residents said the issue started in 2023, and that management hired someone to put concrete over it.
Since then, they say the problem has returned, along with other issues.
Linda Brooks says she has had problems with her garage since October and that management has not given her a response.
“It won’t even let it up because both wires on both sides. It is broken and then the one in that center piece wire (is) also broken. So, if an emergency come as far as a fire, I’m not going to be able to get out of my house,” said Brooks.
After residents reached out, District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith met with them and the property manager on Tuesday.
He said what he saw raised some serious red flags.
“Well, one of the things I saw that were real concerning to me was raw sewage that was, laying on unprotected, on, the top of the ground, raw sewage that had where you could tell where kids had were playing outside,” said Smith.
Smith says multiple agencies were contacted, including county officials and housing program representatives, after tenants shared complaints about conditions and delayed maintenance requests.
“There are some things that need to be taken care of yesterday… The management didn’t deny the fact that there were things that were lacking,” said Smith.
Some residents said they were threatened with eviction if they withheld rent — despite saying issues had gone unaddressed for months.
That list will be presented to property management — and county leaders saying they’ll be watching closely to make sure repairs are made.
WCBI asked the property manager for a comment, but she said she preferred not to talk to the media.
However, she did say they will soon have an inspection.
