RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) -- County officials are working to figure out a solution to help clean up Randleman Lake. For years, trash has littered the area, and community members are frustrated by the mess. FOX8 first shared this story in 2021 when residents complained. The county cleaned it up, but the mess is back, and community members are frustrated again. Randolph County Commissioner Darrell Frye visited the site for himself. He said it frustrated him as well, but it isn’t an easy fix. One part of the lake acts as a catch-all for trash as water flows underground, acting as a natural sifter.  Executive Director of The Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority Gregory Flory says he gets it.  “It’s recognized. It is going to be an ongoing problem as long as the reservoir's here, and people don’t properly dispose of their trash,” Flory said. He said it’s not for a lack of trying. “The water authority we’ve spent a tremendous amount of money out here just on this one site,” Flory said. One attempt was putting a barrier upstream. “What happens with those barriers ... is trees ... come downstream and get under those barriers and lift it up. Then all that trash that’s been holding upstream comes all the way down here. We had an excavator out here. About $30,000 because it had to be long enough to reach ... and get trees,” Flory said. As of right now, the water authority has about eight workers to clean over a period of a few days. Flory says a third party would cost upwards of $50,000. Frye says the problem will only grow as the surrounding communities grow. Flory hopes to have a crew there by the beginning of May. Frye and Flory say if people in the community would dispose of their trash properly, especially upstream, this issue would be more manageable. ...read more read less