EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill — East St. Louis residents may be at a significantly higher risk of E. coli and other pathogens after the city failed to stop or monitor unlawful discharges of untreated wastewater into local lakes and the Mississippi River, according to a complaint filed on Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice and Illinois officials.
The DOJ, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the city's combined sewer and wastewater system discharged untreated liquids into various locations throughout the community including Whispering Willow Lake in Frank Holten State Park, a popular fishing and boating area.
The city reportedly dumped untreated sewage into local waterways at least 140 times since 2020, but federal officials expect the true number to be much higher. The true number of discharges can't be known, as East St. Louis allegedly failed to install necessary discharge monitoring devices.
"East St. Louis’ failure to monitor outfalls interferes with EPA’s ability to evaluate the danger that discharges to these water bodies pose to human health," the complaint said. "Untreated sewage contains pathogens such as E. coli, which can cause severe illness if ingested. The frequent discharges of untreated sewage from East St. Louis’ outfalls could pose significant health risks to residents who recreate in the receiving waters."
The DOJ, EPA, and Illinois officials will reportedly soon request an order for East St. Louis to cease further clean water violations and complete any necessary infrastructure improvements needed to ensure future compliance.
City residents are asked to submit statements regarding the impact of the alleged violations by April 30, 2025. Any interested residents can click here to submit their comments.
