Centreville

To date, only 4% of the money sought for projects to help the city of Cahokia Heights address its flooding and sewage crisis has been spent, according to an EPA analysis.

Officials and lawyers representing the city said Cahokia Heights had still not received most of the funding.

The coordinator, Beth Murphy, said a key accomplishment — what she calls the “matrix” — details ongoing construction projects, plus future construction and funding, to fix the chronic water issues plaguing the Metro East community.

It’s been over three months since Illinois lawmakers requested a federal public health assessment because of residents’ repeated exposure to sewage from broken municipal infrastructure.

Replacing the sewer line is an essential step in fixing Cahokia Heights' faulty system that's left residents with backed-up toilets, flooded basements and standing water in their yards.

The allegations center around the more than $50 million St. Clair County received from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

As Cahokia Heights residents found themselves continuously sick with respiratory conditions, heart problems, and bacterial infections they had one question — where were the health officials?

The federal agency took similar action to address lead contamination in Flint, Michigan. The goal of the coordinator will be to maximize the federal government’s response to long-standing issues in Cahokia Heights.

In August 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Cahokia Height’s two water providers — Illinois American and the city — to monitor the drinking water after the federal agency found “violations and significant deficiencies.”

The cash will funnel through the Army Corps of Engineers to the city. In all, the project to help repair the city’s main trunk line will cost $4.67 million.