“We Are Drowning in Neglect”: Cahokia Heights Residents Demand Action to Stop Sewage and Flooding Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2024
We Are Drowning in Neglect”: Cahokia Heights Residents Demand Action to Stop Sewage and Flooding Crisis
Cahokia Heights, IL – For decades, the people of Cahokia Heights (formerly known as Centreville) have suffered in silence as raw sewage floods their streets, homes, and lives after every storm. Now, a scathing court filing by residents reveals a deepening crisis: sewage spills continue unabated, stormwater turns neighborhoods into lakes, and government promises remain unfulfilled. Despite years of supposed progress, little has changed for the families forced to endure the stench, health risks, and destruction caused by collapsing infrastructure.
A Community in Crisis
The response, filed in Centreville Citizens for Change, et al. v. City of Cahokia Heights, et al. and Bennett, et al v. City of Centreville, et al., paints a harrowing picture of life in Cahokia Heights:
- Flooding and Raw Sewage Inundation: On November 5, 2024—Election Day—heavy rains left entire neighborhoods underwater. Residents waded through contaminated floodwaters just to cast their votes. Fire trucks had to rescue families trapped in their homes. For some, this was yet another chapter in a relentless cycle of devastation.
- Chronic Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs): Sewage overflows are a grim reality. A discharge on North 82nd Street flowed for over a week, fouling homes, yards, and streets. Residents are forced to live with the sight and smell of raw sewage just steps from their doors.
- Negligent Repairs Make Matters Worse: The City’s so-called fixes—like installing pumps and grading streets—have backfired. Broken pumps fail during storms, and misplaced gravel clogs drainage systems, causing even worse flooding.
One resident, Yvette Lyles, described their life as a never-ending nightmare: “Every time it rains, we brace ourselves for disaster. It’s not just water—it’s sewage. It’s sickness. It’s hopelessness.”
The Human Toll
The flooding is more than an inconvenience—it’s a public health emergency. Families have reported losing their water heaters, being without functional toilets for days, and spending thousands of dollars repairing sewage-damaged homes, only to see them destroyed again in the next storm.
For the President of Centreville Citizens for Change, Cornelius Bennett, the City’s fixes have made things worse. His backflow preventer—meant to stop sewage from entering his home and installed by the City in February—overflowed during heavy rains, spraying raw sewage into his yard because of the pressure placed on it by the City’s system. Later, he watched helplessly as city workers spread untreated sewage into nearby fields, creating unbearable odors and raising serious health concerns.
“They Have Failed Us”: Residents Demand Accountability
Nicole Nelson, Executive Director of Equity Legal Services, Inc., and counsel for the individual plaintiffs, called out the City and agencies for their failures:
"The residents of Cahokia Heights are not asking for luxuries—they are fighting for their basic right to live in safety and dignity. The City’s negligence has left this community drowning in sewage, and the response has been nothing but excuses. Enough is enough."
Despite years of promises, the City and state agencies have failed to file a consent decree that adequately addresses the intertwined crises of flooding and sewage overflows. The draft consent decree excludes stormwater solutions, provides no guaranteed timeline for compliance with the Clean Water Act, and ignores the pleas of the very residents who have lived this nightmare for decades.
A Call to Action: Stop the Delays, Save Lives
The people of Cahokia Heights are urging immediate intervention, including:
- Emergency Mitigation: Deploy immediate measures to stop sewage spills and protect residents’ health.
- Community Involvement: Include residents in decisions about long-term solutions, including stormwater and sewage projects.
- Funding for Infrastructure Overhauls: Secure state and federal funding to fix the failing system before more lives are upended.
Governor Pritzker and State Leaders Must Act Now
This is not just a local problem—it is a humanitarian emergency. We call on Governor J.B. Pritzker and state leaders to prioritize this crisis and bring immediate relief to Cahokia Heights.
Attorney Kalila J. Jackson emphasized, “Every delay compounds the suffering. Every storm brings new trauma. The people of Cahokia Heights deserve better—they deserve action.”
Media Contact:
Nicole D. Nelson
Equity Legal Services, Inc.
Email: nnelson@equitylegalservices.org
Phone: (618) 693-9800
Additional Resources:
Learn more about flooding in Centreville, IL at https://www.floodedandforgotten.com/
A copy of the complete status report response can be viewed here.