Illinois is dedicating $21 million in state funding to fix the dilapidated sewer system in Cahokia Heights, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced in a trip to the Metro East community on Wednesday.
About half of that total is immediately available to the community through a $9.9 million grant administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and will pay to fix or replace critical parts of the city鈥檚 wastewater system.
鈥淭his funding signifies real relief for residents and businesses,鈥� Pritzker said. 鈥淧iece by piece, we鈥檙e going to dismantle the chronic problems that have caused so much needless headache and heartbreak.鈥�
Local elected leaders cheered the funding as a major step to resolving .
鈥淥ur residents will start seeing tremendous progress as early as two months, simply by taking these funds allocated today and fixing lift stations,鈥� said Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr.
These stations are key parts of many sewer systems and move wastewater from lower to higher elevations where gravity alone cannot do the trick.
The bulk of the money from IEPA will pay to repair or replace about 35 lift stations in Cahokia Heights and for thousands of feet of sewer lining on the main branch of the system and other select areas, said Christine Davis, who is the project manager for this grant with IEPA.
鈥淭he City of Cahokia Heights basically has to submit information to us that we鈥檙e going to approve prior to them taking any action for the implementation of the contract,鈥� she said.
Beyond specific work on the sewers, the grant terms also require city officials in Cahokia Heights to engage with local residents to ensure they understand the scope and progress of the improvements, Davis said. This also includes chances for residents to provide feedback on how they see the project is working to benefit the community, she added.
This element of the grant is one McCall also emphasized at Wednesday's press conference, pointing to the by residents, like the group .
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to form a partnership with those same individuals,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to say thanks to them, because that citizen group was the conscience to get this funding started. We love those residents. We have to win back those residents鈥� trust.鈥�
McCall was emphatic that local residents would be involved in making decisions on how funding will be awarded.
More money needed
Davis stressed this funding is a starting point for the vast improvements the Metro East community needs. Officials said full completion of the work could take three to five years.
鈥�$9.9 million sounds like a lot of money, but there鈥檚 a lot more money that鈥檚 needed in this watershed or in this community in order for the local residents to see a solution of the sewer overflows,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be seeing an immediate fix on anybody鈥檚 property, which is really important for people to understand.鈥�
For residents in Cahokia Heights still , this does little to address their needs now. Many are still cleaning up from this most recent storm.
鈥淲e know about the planning and investigation and the implementation and getting stuff approved,鈥� said longtime Cahokia Heights resident Yvette Lyles. 鈥淲e need immediate relief. We need action. We need to see stuff going on.鈥�
She added she鈥檚 gotten her hopes up too many times after officials promised to fix the flooding situation where she lives.
鈥淏roken promises just too many times,鈥� Lyles said. 鈥淒o what you say you鈥檙e gonna do. And if you鈥檙e not going to do it, don鈥檛 say anything.鈥�
Other locals reflect this sentiment. Walter Byrd explained he鈥檚 been dealing with flooding on his property since his eldest grandchild was about 9.
鈥淪he鈥檚 going to college. That鈥檚 how long we鈥檝e been dealing with this stuff,鈥� he said. 鈥淎in鈥檛 nothing changed.鈥�
Eric Schmid covers economic development for 漏 2024 外网天堂.
Brian Mu帽oz contributed reporting.
