WACO, TX — Reports of trash and piles of garbage are piling up around Waco, leaving many upset and questioning who is handling the problem.
Driving down Lake Shore Drive people are used to the beautiful views of Lake Waco, but just a couple hundred feet off the shore, empty cups litter the roadway.
Casey Stephenson is just one of the many people who chose to have Lake Waco as the backdrop to their home. She told 25 News she loves the area and is supposed to be a very pretty. Over the years, the trash piling on the side of the road is an addition they didn't sign up for.
For the past year, Stephenson said she has been trying to get the bottom of this problem that many are concerned about.
"I've been emailing people in power in Waco and even TxDOT to see how we can get this cleaned up," Stephenson said. "I've contacted Keep Waco Beautiful, and it seems like their hands are tied on certain areas in Waco."
Kody Petillo, Assistant Director of Solid Waste for the City of Waco said Lake Shore Drive can be dangerous to have volunteer crews clean up the area.
"The speeds are higher than a normal street and the shoulder is very narrow, and getting pedestrians out, there are some safety concerns," Petillo said.
Petillo said Waco does their best to prohibit and remove illegal dumping, but when it comes to other litter -- there is no program or task force funded by the city to handle it.
Without a set solution, Stephenson hopes these problems don't grow any larger.
"I really want to see our lakes clean, our roadways clean," Stephenson said. "I don't want to have to swerve to go around trash just to get where I'm going."
