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Residents’ homes, streets, damaged by raw sewage for decades

The community group Centreville Citizens for Change (represented by Earthjustice) and more than two dozen residents (represented by Equity Legal Services and the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council) sued Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water District and the City of Cahokia Heights in federal court, in response to years of raw sewage pollution…

VICE News investigates Centreville, Illinois' failing drainage and sewer systems.

Centreville Citizens for Change CWA Lawsuit against Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water District

Centreville community members are pushing for solutions to this environmental injustice.

This Informal Complaint was filed by the Metropolitan Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, Equity Legal Services, and Earthjustice on behalf of Centreville Citizens for Change.

Centreville community members sent a formal letter urging city leadership to meet with residents, and to detail its plans and timeline for addressing the failing sewage infrastructure.

Legal organizations demand action on Illinois sewage crisis

Creative and aggressive community-led solutions are needed to address water crises in the former Metro East communities of Centreville, Alorton, and Cahokia, but it’s difficult to see how these solutions will come about if the same local officials in charge of these failing systems remain at the center.

On behalf of Centreville Citizens for Change, we hereby notify Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water District (“Commonfields”) that Centreville Citizens for Change intends to commence a civil action under Section 505 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1365 for violations of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251, et seq.

Courtney Bowie, Managing Attorney, Northeast Office: “We don’t really need to go to trial over this. The court can just rule that the Clean Water Act has been violated, and we can just then focus on how to remedy that problem.”

Alabama county officials lied to residents, most of whom are Black, about the prevalence of hookworm due to sewage mismanagement.

Debbie Chizewer, Attorney, Midwest Office: “They literally have to start from the beginning.”