Cahokia Heights Residents deserve clean water
Let’s be clear: when families cannot trust the water coming from their faucet, that is not just an infrastructure failure it is a moral failure.
The reports of E. coli in drinking water in Cahokia Heights should outrage all of us; but sadly, they do not surprise us. For too long, communities in Cahokia Heights and across the Metro East have been forced to live with flooding, failing infrastructure, and sewage contamination that would never be tolerated in wealthier communities.
According to STL PR, these resident-ran reports were in direct opposition of the companies who provide the water supply.
“The findings contradict test results from the city’s two water providers — private company Illinois American Water and the City of Cahokia Heights — whose own sampling outside homes has not detected E. coli in treated drinking water, according to public records from the past 15 years.”
The people of Cahokia Heights deserve the same dignity, safety, and investment as any other community in Illinois. Safe drinking water is not a luxury. It is a basic human right.
United Congregations of Metro-East will continue organizing alongside partner organizations and residents to demand real accountability, real investment, and real solutions. Our communities should not have to fight this hard for something as God-given as clean water.
We are not only committing to monthly donations of cases of water to the residents of Cahokia Heights, but also joining them in the fight to clean up the water supply by holding those responsible for the safety of our communities accountable.
UCM joined the NPHC and the NAACP on Friday 3/13/26 to donate water for the Citizens of Cahokia Heights. A total is 150 cases were donated. We have pledged to donate an additional 125 cases along with 17th Street Corridor Neighborhood will also donate 125 cases to bring the total to 400 donated.
