Community-Led Drinking Water Testing in Cahokia Heights Reveals Ongoing Water Quality Concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2026
Community-Led Drinking Water Testing in Cahokia Heights Reveals Ongoing Water Quality Concerns
Fairview Heights, Illinois — Today, Equity Legal Services, Inc. (ELS) released the results of a seven-month community-led drinking water testing program that identified repeated bacterial contamination indicators and widespread low chlorine levels in residential drinking water samples collected across Cahokia Heights.
From June through December 2025, water samples were collected from 10 households throughout Cahokia Heights and tested for total coliform bacteria, including E. coli, and chlorine levels, two key indicators of drinking water quality. Confirmatory tests were taken at an additional 13 households when positive results were found at the initial homes. The sampling program was developed in partnership with community members and resident organization Centreville Citizens for Change (CCC), scientists from Washington University and Williams College, and independent drinking water expert Elin Betanzo of Safe Water Engineering, LLC to better understand conditions within the local water system.
The testing program was borne out of residents repeatedly raising concerns about unsafe drinking water. Due to ongoing divestment and lack of maintenance of the municipal stormwater and sewage infrastructure, most residents in Cahokia Heights (formerly Centreville, Illinois) do not drink their tap water and have not for years because of risk of contamination. Numerous residents reported having contracted H. Pylori, a bacterial stomach infection that can be transmitted by exposure to contaminated water. In response to these ongoing concerns, since October 2019, CCC, in partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Elevate, has provided free bottled water to former Centreville residents to protect community health where government agencies have failed.
“Thank God for this testing program. It has confirmed what us, the residents have known for decades. No one in the United States of America should be drinking contaminated water, cooking with contaminated water, bathing in contaminated water, brushing their teeth in contaminated water or cleaning with contaminated water. Maybe this will be the end to the vicious cycle that was imposed upon us against our will,” said longtime Centreville Resident, Yvette Lyles. Ms. Lyles has been using bottled water for all her daily needs for years.
The results of this first round of testing demonstrated persistent total coliform and E. Coli detections at several sampling locations throughout the testing period, with one site showing repeated E. coli detections.
The program also evaluated chlorine residual levels, which help prevent microbial growth as water travels through distribution pipes. Illinois requires total chlorine levels of at least 1.0 mg/L throughout the distribution system to maintain adequate disinfection. Testing found that many households had chlorine levels below this threshold, suggesting that disinfectant levels may not consistently be maintained
“The repeated and widespread detections of total coliform bacteria—found at 6 of 10 primary sites and 8 sites overall—are alarming,” stressed Elin Betanzo of Safe Water Engineering, LLC. “Combined with low chlorine levels, they signal a significant risk of contamination. These findings underscore the urgent need for immediate investigation, rapid corrective action, and rigorous follow‑up monitoring.”
Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Revised Total Coliform Rule framework, the results observed during the sampling period would have triggered regulatory responses, including a Level 1 Assessment in June and a Level 2 Assessment in July—investigations designed to identify and correct the causes of contamination within a water system. Under federal drinking water regulations, these repeated detections would warrant a systemic investigation of system integrity and disinfection practices [by the state] were this testing conducted by the utilities.
“These results highlight serious and ongoing concerns about drinking water quality in Cahokia Heights,” said Nicole Nelson, Executive Director of Equity Legal Services. “Residents deserve confidence that the water coming from their taps is safe. Community-led testing helps ensure transparency and accountability when residents have raised concerns about their water for years.”
The testing program relied on the participation of resident volunteers who were trained and participated in collecting community samples from their kitchen sinks, along with support for regulatory sampling from trained volunteers through the Sierra Club Water Sentinels program and the East St. Louis Chapter of the NAACP. Sampling protocols mirrored the U.S. EPA Revised Total Coliform Rule, and the program received technical guidance from drinking water expert Elin Betanzo of Safe Water Engineering.
Illinois American Water [1] services most of the households in this testing cohort, with Cahokia Heights providing water to the rest. Residents pay three combined water, sewer, and treatment bills for water that is unsafe to drink, bathe in, or feed to pets. It is imperative both IAW and Cahokia Heights take responsibility for this issue and provide the community with proper warnings, communication, and access to safe and affordable drinking water.
Equity Legal Services is calling for the findings to be reviewed by all appropriate regulatory agencies including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and for further investigation into the causes of contamination and low disinfectant levels. ELS implores Illinois American Water and Cahokia Heights to issue an ongoing boil water order until the contamination can be identified and corrected. In the meantime, residents should be provided access to safe water with bottled water provided by these two entities, or stipends to purchase safe drinking water. Equity Legal Services will continue working with residents, technical experts, and community partners to expand community-based monitoring and advocate for long-term solutions to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for Cahokia Heights residents.
About Equity Legal Services
Equity Legal Services is a non-profit legal services organization. We work alongside communities of color and other historically underserved communities who are regularly impacted by environmental and structural poverty issues with an emphasis on legal assistance, advocacy, and community organizing. To learn more about what we do, visit www.equitylegalservices.org. To learn more about our work with communities, visit, floodedandforgotten.com
Media Contact:
Kennedy Moehrs Gardner
kmgardner@equitylegalservices.org
Equity Legal Services
www.equitylegalservices.org
[1] In January 2026, Illinois American Water proposed a rate hike that would increase water bills by an average of $14 a month. See https://newsroom.amwater.com/2026-01-27-Illinois-American-Water-Files-Rate-Request-Driven -by-Approximately-577-Million-in-Investments-to-Provide-Safe,-Clean,-Reliable-and-Affordable-Service.