HOUSTON – Illegal dumping continues to be one of the most persistent quality-of-life problems across Houston and for some neighborhoods, it’s becoming a costly, never-ending cycle.
According to the city’s 311 data, “trash dumping or illegal dumpsites” ranks among the top 25 complaints citywide, with 613 reports filed in just the past four weeks.
In Sunnyside, developer Gilbert Okoronkwo says his Mallow Street property has become a frequent dumping ground despite his efforts to stop it. Okoronkwo says he installed a chain-link fence and posted “No Trespassing” signs to block access to the lot. But it didn’t last.
“The fence got taken down, the no-trespassing signs got taken down,” Okoronkwo said. “And shortly thereafter, that’s when the trash just emerged.”
Piles of furniture, construction debris, and even mounds of dirt have been dumped on the property, trash Okoronkwo says doesn’t belong to him, but still becomes his responsibility.
“It’s all stuff we’re ultimately going to have to pay to remove,” he said. “We pay extra to remove it. We pay for the citations.”
Each time neighbors call 311, he says the city responds but the citations often land on him as the property owner, even when the dumping was illegal and done by someone else.
Constable James Phillips of Harris County Precinct 7 says illegal dumping is a constant battle.
“It’s dumping 24 hours a day, seven days a week for us to fight,” Phillips said.
Across Harris County, Constable Precinct 1 operates more than 150 cameras placed in areas known for frequent dumping. Those cameras have helped deputies catch some offenders in the act but prosecutions remain limited.
Deputy Eulogio Martinez says his unit has prosecuted just one case so far using camera footage.
“At the beginning, we were doing education,” Martinez explained.
In one recent case, deputies caught suspected dumpers still on scene. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office chose not to prosecute, explaining it was a unique situation.
In a statement, the DA’s Office said charges were not filed because they opted to educate the offenders, require them to clean up the trash, and provide proof it was properly disposed of.
“Had we just filed the charges, the trash would have just sat at that location and potentially invited more trash to be piled upon it,” the statement read.
However, investigators say not all cases are treated the same. Martinez says deputies are actively searching for a repeat offender believed to be paid to haul construction debris, only to dump it illegally at the same location multiple times.
Constable Phillips believes education alone isn’t enough and wants lawmakers to strengthen penalties.
“I think it’s stopped by enhanced punishments,” Phillips said. “If we catch you dumping, we seize your vehicle, the truck you used to dump trash in our communities.”
Illegal dumping is currently classified as a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law.
While law enforcement works to deter dumping, some residents are taking matters into their own hands.
Andrew Beaver, founder of the volunteer group Clean the Block, began organizing cleanups after seeing his own neighborhood repeatedly used as a dumping site.
“I already knew it was going to be a cycle — a long-term battle,” Beaver said.
Every day, Beaver cleans up different areas across the city, documenting the process online and tracking how long it takes for the city to respond to 311 complaints.
“We did a big cleanup down the street [and] it took seven months for them to come out,” Beaver said.
Still, he hopes visibility and consistency will inspire change.
“I want community members to see someone cares,” he said. “Community takes care of the community.”