EAST ST. LOUIS – Centreville homeowners Cornelius Bennett and Earlie Fuse petitioned U.S. district court to fix local sewers on June 5.
They claim rain spreads sewage, damages homes, and floods streets.
They seek court authority over township supervisor Curtis McCall Sr., Mayor Mark Jackson, and Commonfields of Cahokia superintendent Dennis Traiteur.
Bennett has resided at his home for 36 years, according to his lawyer Nicole Nelson, and Fuse purchased his home in 1992.
“Despite the sheer indifference and unwillingness from the parties that are responsible for providing the plaintiffs and their neighbors these very basic commodities such as an operable and safe sanitary sewer and storm water systems, the plaintiffs are adamant in their desire to remain in their homes,” the lawsuit says.
According to the complaint, flooding and sewage overflows did not occur on their properties when they moved into their homes.
“Raw sewage does not simply begin flowing into yards and into homes over the course of one day,” it says.
“Manholes do not immediately become over capacity nor pump stations intended to push waste water to treatment plants suddenly stand dilapidated in ditches and on the side of roads in barely operable condition.
“These conditions occur due to a string of collective decisions not to invest in a community.
“The request and reason for relief is as straightforward as this court will find both men.”
Plaintiffs Bennett and Fuse say they want to enjoy their properties without the stench.
Attorney Nelson wrote that damages might be appropriate in other circumstances, but Bennett and Fuse request substantive resolution because damages are insufficient.
She wrote that they are African-Americans who own their homes, and they are no exception in the community. They reside in areas known as Parkside and Ping Pong.
Bennett, who lives near Lake Drive and Bluff Road in a neighborhood barely visible from those busy routes, says that he pours down wheelbarrows of lime at a corner of his house hoping the smell won’t overtake the house.
Two ditches flank his property, and both fill with stagnant water throughout the seasons and with sewage when it backs up. During and after a flood, he might be unable to flush his toilets or access a large portion of his property, the suit says.
In an interview on Saturday, he pointed across the street and said he’s seen water three feet deep there.
“When I try to cut my grass, I have to put hip boots on," he said.
He said a water main broke twice in a week in different places.
“We didn’t get any notice not to drink the water or to boil the water,” he said. “They patch it up and take off.”
Fuse lives near North Kingshighway and State Street. He could not be reached for comment.
Fuse’s basement wall collapsed four times due to the amount and force of water, most recently on Jan. 11, according to the suit. His basement was previously decorated as a living space with furniture but the floor is caked with mud.
The street at Fuse’s home fills with water when it rains for more than 15 minutes, making it impossible to navigate out of the driveway, the suit says.
“There have been times agencies have offered to rescue plaintiff Fuse and his neighbors by boat due to the height of the water,” the complaint says.
“Plaintiffs can no longer sustain the physical, mental and financial burdens of these dysfunctional sewer and storm water systems and the rainy days which further exacerbate current terrible and unhealthy conditions.”
In addition to McCall, Jackson, and Traiteur, the complaint seeks court authority over La Mar Gentry.
He works as an administrator for Centreville city and the village of Alorton.
Earlier this year voters approved consolidation of Centreville and Alorton to form a city by name of Alcentra.
Nelson founded Equity Legal Services in Belleville. Her website carries a report on Centreville sewers.
She filed the complaint in association with Kalila Jackson of Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council.