"CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. — Yvette Lyles thought of the modest brick ranch home as a Christmas present for her family. It was close to a state park where she and her kids could picnic, fish and enjoy the outdoors. A place to make memories.
But she soon learned her southern Illinois community had a big problem: Recurring floods from heavy rains sent untreated sewage into streets, yards and homes where they buckled floors, cracked walls and destroyed belongings. The first time it happened after they moved in, her family was trapped inside for days.
“I had to turn my back so my children wouldn’t see me cry,” Lyles said.
Cahokia Heights, a mostly Black city where about one-third live in poverty, is among scores of communities nationwide with aging and decrepit wastewater systems that can put people and their homes at risk. Exposure to untreated sewage, which can enter homes by backing up through plumbing or via floods after rainwater overwhelms sewer systems, can cause illness. Such problems are often in rural areas or declining cities without the money or expertise to fix problems on their own."
Tammy Webber, Michael Phillis and M.K. Wildeman report for the Associated Press January 9, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Takeaways From AP Reporting On Trump Administration Cuts Affecting US Water Systems" (AP)
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