Raw sewage, lawsuits and millions in federal funding: A timeline of issues in Cahokia Heights

Government officials say it will take millions of dollars and years of work to fix the infrastructure and drainage issues in Cahokia Heights that cause sewage to flood into homes.

Here’s a look at where that work stands and what’s ahead:

The problems are most pronounced in the northern area of the former city of Centreville, now part of Cahokia Heights. A $9.9 million grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will address some sewer infrastructure issues there. The grant calls for that work to be completed by 2025, but officials have estimated it could stretch into 2026.

Cahokia Heights is also planning long-term maintenance to improve the performance of the entire sewer system, according to Jim Nold, a senior project manager for engineering firm Hurst-Rosche, Inc. The firm works for the city.

“That is something that is scheduled to occur over the next 10 or so years a little bit at a time,” Nold said at a town hall meeting in September. “There are 90 miles of sewer in the city of Cahokia Heights, and so it can’t all be done at one time. So they’ll do a little bit each year as funds are available in the yearly operating budget to accomplish that work.”

City officials have said they still can’t stop the flooding in both Cahokia Heights and neighboring East St. Louis until an important drainage canal known as Harding Ditch is dredged. They estimate it to be a $100 million project that could take at least 14 years to complete.

The agency responsible for Harding Ditch is the Metro East Sanitary District, which collects tax dollars from residents in Cahokia Heights, East St. Louis, Washington Park, Brooklyn, Fairmont City, Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Madison and Venice. At a news conference in April, officials from Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis called for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assistance with the work and cost of dredging Harding Ditch.

George Stringham, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District, said it can’t help with the cost of the dredging. But the agency is going to evaluate a section of Harding Ditch and provide recommendations for specific improvements to the cities of Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis, according to Stringham.

Meanwhile, a Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout program is in the works for Cahokia Heights residents who want to move because of the hazards in the community. Their home would be purchased by the government, demolished and returned to green space. But some residents question how much money they could possibly get for their heavily damaged properties.

The regional office for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Chicago said homeowners could be paid based on either the pre-disaster fair-market value of their property or the current market value determined by a certified appraiser. It will be up to St. Clair County and state emergency management agencies to make that decision, according to FEMA.

Here’s a look back at the developments in residents’ fight for solutions:

Feb. 20, 2020: The Belleville News-Democrat publishes an in-depth article on the impact of decades of flooding and infrastructure failure on the residents of northern Centreville and the local, state and federal governments’ failure to fix the problems.

June 5, 2020: Centreville residents Cornelius Bennett and Earlie Fuse file a lawsuit against the city of Centreville, utility company Commonfields of Cahokia and several elected officials and employees, including: then-Mayor Marius “Mark” Jackson, then-Township Supervisor Curtis McCall Sr., former city manager for Alorton and Centreville Lamar Gentry, and Commonfields superintendent Dennis Traiteur. Bennett and Fuse ask the court to stop the defendants from depositing or diverting stormwater onto their properties and to replace some of the pump or lift stations within 30 days. The suit also asks for the installation of new sewer lines where needed as well as a monitor to make sure the changes are made.

July 28, 2020: U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, both Democrats from Illinois, send a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asking the agency to propose solutions to the sewage and flooding issues in Centreville, ensure enforcement of environmental laws and investigate the condition of the drinking water.

Nov. 3, 2020: Voters in Cahokia, Alorton and Centreville approve a proposal to merge their towns to create a new city called Cahokia Heights. One of the reasons officials promote the consolidation is to be able to apply for larger amounts of grant funding with a larger population.

Feb. 11, 2021: Failing infrastructure in Centreville gains national media attention with an article in the Guardian.

March 2, 2021: Cahokia, Alorton and Centreville apply for a $22 million federal “BRIC” grant, or Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local leaders hope it will fix the issues in Centreville. U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin send a letter to FEMA urging federal officials to approve the application.

March 8, 2021: Gov. J.B. Pritzker pledges his administration’s support for the $22 million federal BRIC grant.

March 23, 2021: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency awards a $919,869 grant to HeartLands Conservancy, a Belleville-based organization, with the hope of reducing flooding and sewage issues in Centreville, Alorton and Cahokia. The grant is part of the Prairie du Pont watershed plan aimed at reducing stormwater runoff, fixing minor sewer system infrastructure and using the best practices for managing rainfall.

April 6, 2021: Residents of Cahokia, Alorton and Centreville formally vote to disband Commonfields of Cahokia, the water and sewer district that served 7,000 customers in the three towns. Dissolving Commonfields is one of the many phases of the “Better Together” plan to unite Cahokia, Alorton and Centreville into Cahokia Heights.

April 14, 2021: Newly elected Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. pledges to fix the issues in Centreville. McCall says the $22 million federal BRIC grant will be key.

May 6, 2021: Curtis McCall Sr. is sworn in, and the Cahokia Heights merger becomes official.

July 2021: Cahokia Heights learns it will not receive the $22 million federal BRIC grant.

July 20, 2021: Three organizations representing the residents group Centreville Citizens for Change file a second lawsuit against Commonfields of Cahokia and Cahokia Heights seeking to force local officials to fix the problems. The lawsuit alleges Commonfields of Cahokia has been discharging sewage into the community in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Aug. 2, 2021: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders the city of Cahokia Heights and Illinois American Water to increase drinking water monitoring and upgrade some water infrastructure because of the potential for contamination from sewage spills.

Aug. 16, 2021: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders Cahokia Heights to repair its sewer system.

Aug. 3, 2022: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces a $9.9 million state grant for sewer repairs in Cahokia Heights.

Aug. 15, 2022: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, announces a total of $28 million in federal funding has been secured for Cahokia Heights. The figure includes $26.5 million from the city’s, county’s and state’s shares of federal COVID-related relief funds from the American Rescue Plan. The other $1.5 million from the total federal funding is for HeartLands’ Prairie Du Pont watershed plan.

July 27, 2023: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency terminates its order requiring Illinois American Water to increase drinking water monitoring because infrastructure upgrades are completed.

Aug. 5, 2023: Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Colorado share the preliminary findings of their health study in Cahokia Heights with the community. They found more than 40% of adults out of an initial sample of 42 had the same bacterial infection.