Residents demand fix for chronic flooding

Under pressure, ESL official says help is on the way
BY ALIANA RAMOS
News-Democrat Posted on Tue, Jul. 19, 2005

Caption by picture of Map:  The United Congregations of Metro-East met in East St. Louis with city officials and Mayor Carl Officer Monday to discuss the standing water between the 800 block of North 53^rd St. and Summit Avenue   The group is concerned that the water can contain mosquitoes and wants something done about it.

EAST ST. LOUIS - "Fix the sewers! Fix the sewers!" chanted about 20 residents of a neighborhood where flooding has been a problem for more than 30 years.

At a news conference Monday night, the residents faced East St. Louis ' Parks and Public Works Director Jesse Walker and demanded a resolution to the standing water that collects after every rainfall at 53rd Street and Summit Avenue .

"We want our elected officials to do what they were elected to do," said Pastor Sharon Smith of Sharon Smith International Ministries. "No more excuses -- fix the sewers. That's all there is to it."

Walker said the city was aware of the problem and was working on a solution.

He said the city was looking to fix a ditch on North State Street that would help to alleviate some of the flow to the Summit Avenue neighborhood. He also said $400,000 had been allocated in next year's budget to help address the water problem on 53rd street from Ohio Avenue to Summit Avenue .

"Every time it rains, my basement floods, and it comes up to here," said Joyce Little, motioning to her waist.

Little said she has lived on the 800 block of Summit Avenue for the past nine years. So far, she has had to replace her furnace and her walls have started caving in.

"We're taxpayers too and we pay pretty high taxes to have to wade through water," said Little, who is also a member of the Dayton Wedgewood Neighborhood Organization.

Walker said the area from Summit Avenue to the Washington Park MetroLink station, which is near Little's house, was not yet included in next year's budget. He estimated it would take $900,000 to repair 53rd street from Ohio to the MetroLink station.

Another problem, residents said, was that children were having to navigate through water with garbage and mosquitoes to ride MetroLink to get to school.

Standing water can harbor mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile virus, said Jerrin Butler, environmental program coordinator for East Side Health District.

Residents said in order to avoid the water, they would have to walk to 59th Street and enter the MetroLink station through the MetroLink park and ride entrance.

Walker promised residents Monday that he would supply temporary relief until a more permanent solution could be found. He also promised residents that light fixtures would be added by August and a manhole cover that was missing a lid would be repaired in about 15 days.

"We are standing together and we will not quit until this is done," Smith said to Walker . "We'll see you in your office in August."

Contact reporter Aliana Ramos at aramos@bnd.com or 239-2507.