MDEQ issues water contact advisory for parts of Jackson County

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is warning people to avoid contact with water in Comynie Bayou and part of the Pascagoula River in Jackson County.

The advisory follows a wastewater spill in Pascagoula that released an estimated 550,000 gallons of sewage into the waterways.

The affected area includes all of the bayou and the Pascagoula River from the west end of Delmas Avenue south to the river’s mouth.

State officials say the problem was caused by a wastewater system bypass near John Avenue. The issue has been repaired, but you should avoid contact with the water until further testing is done.