The KHOU 11 newsroom has been flooded with emails about trash being illegally dumped on your streets.
Tristan Williams has spent his entire life living in the Third Ward. Friday morning, he walked down Mcllhenny Street alongside three months’ worth of illegally dumped rubbish.
“It’s harsh because the kids have to come out here any play,” Williams said. “You never know what you might find out here.”
A dog rummages through the trash, successfully finding a leftover microwave meal.
“It’s always been like this,” Williams said.
Following 311 phone calls, waste management returned to the frequent dumping site Friday. People in the Third Ward asked KHOU 11 News what could they do to stop the trash from returning?
Turns out, the city offers six free heavy garbage drop-off sites. There’s one about 10 minutes from Mcllhenny Street.
“Half of them (illegal dumpers) don’t know where to go, and they ain’t looking nowhere to go. They’re just trying to get it off their truck,” said Third Ward resident Nelson Burnett.
Burnett and Williams hope people will hear about the free dump sites and start using them instead of their neighborhood. However, there are limits on what people can dump for free. Heavy garbage drop-offs will not accept chemicals, paint, food, auto parts and Styrofoam.
For more information about a heavy garbage site closest to you, tap/click here.