A putrid problem is piling up in Webster, Massachusetts.
Growing garbage mounds are an eyesore in several neighborhoods after residents say Republic Services hasn't picked up their waste in weeks.
"It's never been this bad," resident Patty Fournier said.
"There's flies, it smells," said Republic customer Jill Magnant.
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"It gets an odor when it's hot," said Perry Petrillo, who does property maintenance.
"And it's like it just keeps multiplying," said Deb Akerson of Webster.
"It's awful," Magnant added. "They left a message saying there was a driver shortage, and that they'd be back next week."
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Magnant says it's frustrating because it's not like her family can just stop creating the bags of trash now bursting from their bin.
"It's overflowing over there," she said.
The trash troubles are even worse outside apartments on School Street, where the clutter just cannot be contained.
"They have a shortage, they'll get there when they get there, that's what they tell us," Petrillo said.
"It's been two weeks that they haven't picked up," said Fournier. "And they just pile more on."
Fournier doesn't want to trash talk anyone, but she says the rancid refuse overtaking the receptacles is getting ridiculous.
"We don't like to look at it, that's for sure, and we're afraid of, you know – rats and whatever," said Fournier.
The Webster Board of Health says it has received a couple of complaints over the past month, and while garbage gripes are usually private issues between property owners and their trash companies, they will issue citations and fines if it becomes a health issue.
Some say it already has.
"It's disgusting, and it's gross, and it's unsanitary, and it's not right," Akerson said.
NBC10 Boston reached out to Republic Services for comment. In a statement, the company thanked its customers for their patience and apologized for any inconvenience, saying, "Many industries are facing staffing challenges at this time, and the recycling and waste disposal industry is no different … Our team is working tirelessly to ensure that missed collections are addressed in a reasonable amount of time."
