Cahokia Heights, IL…The City of Cahokia Heights, Illinois has been facing a crisis. With the reality of severely damaged sewer lines, sewage has been backing up into city streets, parks, and neighborhoods, creating a significant public health concern. They have struggled to receive the necessary funding to fix these issues, as a long-delayed promise of Governor Pritzker has left the people to suffer with these issues for far too long.
Thankfully, a step is being made in the right correction to address these issues. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District and the City of Cahokia Heights are partnering together to repair a major sewer line in the city. Last Wednesday, they entered into a cost-shared agreement for sewer improvements included in the Sanitary Sewer Trunkline Project.
While this will be a significant repair, it is still just the first phase of a solution. Curtis McCall St., the mayor of Cahokia Heights, said, “We may be on the high end another $10 to $15 million short. On the low end–maybe another $8 million.” He estimates that it may realistically be another decade until Cahokia Heights is able to completely renovate their sewer infrastructure to a satisfactory level.
“While this won’t completely solve all of the sewer and flooding issues facing Cahokia Heights, it’s an encouraging first step that will have a big impact,” Rep. Schmidt said. “I will continue to raise my voice concerning this issue so that Cahokia Heights can receive the funding they need to finish the rest of their much-needed sewer repairs.”
Rep. Schmidt proudly serves the people of the 114th District of Illinois.