Sewage overflow is getting too close for beachgoers' comfort

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Residents of Surfside Beach say they have been dealing with sewage issues for the last couple of years, and the problem only seems to be getting worse.

"You can smell it in front of my shop," said Austin Campbell, the owner of Psycho Surf Industries.

Campbell, who has lived in Surfside for at least 35 years, said the issue started about four years ago, but it has gotten progressively worse over the last two years.

Photographs sent to ABC13 show sewage overflowing onto yards and there's even an overflow under the sand on the beach.

"It drains onto the roads, people are walking through it and stuff," said Campbell.

Former Surfside City Councilmember Mark Wilson said the current system services approximately 500 homes.

There are around 450 full-time residents in Surfside Beach, but then there's also the thousands of visitors from each weekend to consider as well.

"So that'll really give you the ratio of full-time residents versus the renters or people who just come down here part time," said Wilson.

Neither the mayor nor the city's public works department responded to a request for comment.

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