St. Louis, MO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, along with the city of Cahokia Heights and other officials, held a groundbreaking ceremony today, to celebrate the start of the sanitary sewer trunkline rehabilitation project.
The proect focuses on a critical portion of the sanitary sewer infrastructure which carries all wastewater from any flushed toilet, sink, or bathtub drain from near the intersection of Jerome and Mousette lanes south to the Levin Drive Pump Station where it’s pumped to the American Bottoms Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sauget, Illinois, for processing.
“Access to safe and reliable water systems is fundamental to ensuring basic living standards and public health,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said. “With the Cahokia Heights’ infrastructure in need of a full overhaul, this new rehabilitation initiative will help make crucial progress toward improving the problems that plague this city by proactively upgrading the sanitary sewer trunkline and ensuring a more durable, long-lasting sewer system for generations to come. I’ll keep doing everything I can to help improve the infrastructure in Cahokia Heights and help improve the lives of its residents.”
The construction contract for the Sanitary Sewer Trunkline Rehabilitation project was awarded to Insituform Technologies USA, LLC. This project is cost shared with the city of Cahokia Heights, Illinois and will rehabilitate approximately 3.2 miles of sanitary sewer trunkline.
“When I met with Senator Duckworth and Congresswoman Budzinski to discuss the funding that would be dedicated to this project in St. Clair and Madison County for the town of Cahokia Heights, I made sure that 3.5 million dollars would be dedicated to the project led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Mayor McCall, so that this town could continue to make a difference in the lives of the people that live here and thank goodness it is,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said.
The City of Cahokia aligned to form a partnership focused on improving conditions in the community, funds were appropriated by elected leaders and now the project is being delivered with the assistance of the Corps of Engineers and their contractor.
“I’ve been glad to work in partnership with both Sens. Durbin and Duckworth to push for progress on the crisis in this community, and I am glad that these funds will be used to begin addressing the infrastructure issues that have been causing this crisis for far too long,” said U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski.
The project involves a process called cured-in-place pipe liner technology — essentially creating a pipe within a pipe — to address critical pipe deficiencies such as cracks or breaks in the trunkline. This work will restore structural stability and ensure the long-term reliability of the wastewater transportation system in the city.
“This work is important to the nation and the city, improving the reliability of the sanitary sewer system for the residents of Cahokia Heights,” Col. Andy Pannier, commander of the St. Louis District said. “Taking the first steps in moving this project forward is a major step in honoring our commitment to this community to assist where authority and appropriations allow. The St. Louis District is proud to take on this project and looks forward to seeing this progress in the years ahead.”
Construction completion is planned in spring 2025.
-30-
