‘Extensive’ Pearl River advisory remains as JXN Water halts 9

JXN Water confirmed Friday afternoon that it stopped a sanitary sewer overflow into the Pearl River it discovered nine days prior. However, an expanded state water contact advisory for the river from elevated bacteria levels, issued on Thursday, remains in effect.

The new warning extends an already-existing advisory for the Pearl River — which since 2019 has ranged from the northern tip of Hinds County to Byram — to the Na Sandifer Memorial Highway Bridge just north of Monticello, in total stretching over 60 miles. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality cautions against contact with the river — such as swimming, wading and fishing — in the affected areas until further notice.

“This expansion of the advisory is based on test results showing the potential for human health risk