Cahokia Heights reaches settlement with EPA and DOJ over ‘improper’ operation of sewer

Today, the EPA and DOJ announced a settlement – officials claim sewer was affecting people’s homes

By Corey Dickerson

Published: Dec. 10, 2024 at 3:40 PM CST

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Changes are coming to the Cahokia Heights sewer system after several federal and state agencies announced a settlement reached today over alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency says these were tied to “the city’s failure to properly operate its sanitary sewer system.” Under the terms of the settlement, Cahokia Heights will pay $30,000 in civil penalties and must implement an estimated $30 million in compliance measures.

RESIDENT CONCERNS

Locals tell First Alert 4 that the sewage problem has been impacting them for some time — and as recent as the most recent flooding in November. Equity Legal Services has been worried about gaps in the proposed fixes to the sewer system for some time.

They say on Election Day (Nov. 5) heavy rains left some neighborhoods flooded, and some were contaminated with sewage, some flowing for weeks.

Equity Legal says the residents need major overhauls to local infrastructure, emergency mitigation operations during flooding and more community involvement in potential fixes to this longstanding problem.

As previously reported by First Alert 4’s Deion Broxton, Centreville Citizens for Change, a local group committed to resolving decades-long flooding issues in Centreville, which is now called Cahokia Heights after Cahokia merged with Alorton and Centreville, sent the U.S. Department of Treasury a complaint letter accusing St. Clair County government officials of discriminating against Cahokia Heights by allocating millions of American Rescue Plan Act funding to more affluent areas of St. Clair County.

The St. Clair County government received more than $50 million in COVID relief money after the Biden Administration signed off on the legislation a few years ago. Cahokia Heights received $2.8 million, but Mayor Curtis McCall, along with other federal and state officials, have said the funding isn’t enough to fix the city’s sewer and flooding issues.

EPA CLAIMS & BACKGROUND

First Alert 4 has found that Cahokia’s sewer system is old and complex. It spreads over 16 miles and serves over 20,000 people. The EPA says there are roughly 90 miles of gravity sewers, miles of force mains, over 2,000 manholes, and 69 lift stations.

EPA information explains that the complaint against Cahokia Heights alleges over “270 occasions” where Cahokia Heights discharged sanitary sewage into a navigable waterway — which is a violation of the Clean Water Act. This has gone on since November 2019. “Additionally, the city is alleged to have discharged pollutants into waters of the United States without a national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit,” the EPA says. “Cahokia Heights also discharged untreated sewage from a cleanout in its sewer system and other locations. ”

Under that settlement, the city has to organize over 80 capitol improvement projects, including an interceptor to reroute wastewater flow, and other improvements across the entire system. Federal sources say the city must keep residents updated on a regular basis.

In a statement, the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said that Cahokia Heights failed to maintain the aging sewer system — “resulting in hundreds of illegal sanitary sewer overflow discharges that created public health risks and contaminated homes and the environment.”

The Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resource Division attorneys said that the action taken against Cahokia Heights was made to ensure that the sewer operation meets Clean Water Act standards and to protect the people around the community.

“Cahokia Heights residents have had to endure these threats to their health and their environment for far too long,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Residents are worried that the change can’t come soon enough. This consent decree is a significant step forward, bringing meaningful improvements to the community.”

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the neglect of the system forced locals to “deal with raw sewage in their basements, in their streets and local waterways.”

More information is available at the Cahokia Heights Clean Water Act Settlement Summary.

CITY OF CAHOKIA HEIGHTS

The City of Cahokia Heights itself released a press release on Dec. 11th. In it, the City stated the requirements of the settlment will build on capital projects it has “already been implementing under a nearly $10 million grant from Illinois EPA, which has allowed the City to complete numerous repairs to sewer milbreaks and repairs and upgrades to lift stations throughout its sewer system.”

The City says it has committed to spending around $30 million on addditional repairs and upgrades to the system, and more than 80 “near-term capital improvement projects.”

Including construction of an interceptor sewer that will redirect flows currently discharged to the East St. Louis system to the south into Cahokia Heights sewer system.

“The Consent Decree builds upon the good work that was started under the IEPA grant, and represents the City’s continued commitment to invest in our infrastructure and improve the lives of residents throughout Cahokia Heights for many years to come,” said Cahokia Heights Mayor, Curtis McCall.

It also contains a “pilot program” for repairing private lateral seweer lines, homes and business connections to the public sewer.

“The repair program will be available to residents in the area of the former City of Centreville, and will use funding from the existing Centreville Tax Increment Financing to repair broken sewer laterals and install backflow prevention devices to help limit sewer backups into participating properties,” the City stated in a release. “While the Consent Decree lateral repair program is a two-year pilot program, limited to the area of former Centreville, the City hopes to ultimately make the program available to all residents Citywide. ”

Cahokia Heights also said they appreciated “this opportunity to work alongside federal and state partners to further invest in the City’s infrastructure and sanitary sewer system. The City’s team looks forward to complying with the terms of the Proposed Consent Decree and to strengthening its wastewater system. Now that the Consent Decree has been lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, it will be made available for public comment for 60 days. Information about how to submit comments will be available from the federal and state regulators.”

Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage goes from corn farms to hunting concerns, and local water rates to buffalo health.