Sewer and drain service in East St. Louis, IL
East St. Louis has combined sewers on the federal permit list and a 1957 median house. A drain backing up there is a sewer company’s call, so skip the plumber.
What the federal permit list shows
The EPA’s list shows East St. Louis Combined Sewer under the city, NPDES IL0033472, with overflows along the Mississippi. It also shows Metro East Facility Sanitary District, IL0028592, with combined sewer overflows. Those are permits on file, and the holders may not be today’s owners.
That caution matters here. The Metro East Sanitary District, created in 1974 as a levee and drainage district with 37.5 miles of front levee and 8 storm pump stations, sold its sewer system to Illinois American Water on Nov. 12, 2024. That covered the Eagle Park and Lansdowne systems, about 5,600 customers. So ask whether your block answers to the city or the company.
Where the neighbors tie in
A consent decree in the Cahokia Heights sewer case calls for an interceptor to separate Cahokia Heights from the East St. Louis system. Public sewer arrangements in East St. Louis are still shifting, so check before relying on an old answer. The state repealed its backwater valve rule in 2004, so a valve is likely your own call.
What a 1957 median says about your line
Census figures put the median house at 1957 in a St. Clair County city of 18,278, near the peak of Orangeburg. Half the houses are older still, and on the oldest, clay with mortared joints is possible. A camera inspection replaces the guess with footage.
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Answers
East St. Louis: sewer and drain questions
Does East St. Louis, IL have a combined sewer?
The EPA’s list shows a permit called East St. Louis Combined Sewer, under the city, NPDES IL0033472, with overflows along the Mississippi. It doesn’t say which blocks are combined. If your basement only backs up in hard rain, that’s worth bringing up, and a valve may be worth discussing.
Who owns the Metro East Sanitary District sewers in East St. Louis, IL?
The district sold its sewer system to Illinois American Water on Nov. 12, 2024, including the Eagle Park and Lansdowne systems and about 5,600 customers. It remains a levee and drainage district. Check your bill and ask which provider serves your East St. Louis address.
Are backwater valves required in East St. Louis, IL?
Not by the state. The Illinois plumbing code section on backwater valves was repealed in 2004, and we haven’t read a city rule on them. In an East St. Louis house with a low drain and a combined sewer nearby, it’s still a question worth asking about your own line.
How old is a typical house sewer line in East St. Louis, IL?
No published count covers the lines, but the median East St. Louis house dates to 1957, and half are older. That era points to Orangeburg, with clay on the oldest houses. Your own line may be neither, so run a camera through it before pricing any repair.