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When Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Ben Greenfield, PhD, learned that residents of nearby Centreville were living with raw sewage in their yards, he knew he needed to help.

       The infrastructure of the town’s sewer system is in disrepair, causing raw sewage and flood water to seep into residents’ yards and homes. Additionally, residents are concerned about the impact of the overflowing sewage on the town’s drinking water supply.

       “It was clear to me that there was an environmental injustice happening in the Metro East, and I wanted to see if I could help find a solution to the problem,” said Greenfield. “SIUE is a public university that has been extremely important in providing education and service to Metro East residents. As such, the ability to help with a meaningful public health issue in this region was quite important to me.”

       In January 2019, Greenfield joined a multidisciplinary coalition of researchers, scholars and attorneys working to support the Centreville residents. He provides guidance on environmental study and design, public health and data interpretation.

       Last summer, Greenfield recruited SIUE environmental sciences alumnus Eric Gray, BS ’19, and current SIUE environmental sciences graduate student Eloho Unufe to join him in conducting samples of the surface water in Centreville. Their findings indicated elevated coliform bacteria levels in drainage ditches and flooded areas around the community, suggesting these publicly accessible spaces are contaminated with sewage.

       These findings, along with the preliminary results of the water quality tests completed by students from Williams College in Massachusetts, were presented last fall when residents met with their attorneys to discuss their options for resolving the sewer and flooding problems.

       While the problems relating to the Centreville sewer system are ongoing, the town has seen an increase in media coverage about this issue, drawing attention to the living conditions of its residents, and the impact the flooding has had on their homes and yards. Greenfield believes the coalition’s work has led, in part, to this media attention.

       “Every participant on this project, including team members and the residents themselves, wants the same thing. We want the residents of this community to have access to safe and clean drinking water which they can trust, and the ability to live in an environment that is free from terrible odors and aesthetic problems associated with flooding and raw sewage,” explained Greenfield. “We are trying to collect scientific information in order to delineate and quantify the problem, and we also want to draw public attention to it, because many people in the region are not aware of what their neighbors are facing.”

       In terms of his future involvement in this project, Greenfield is committed to supporting the work of the multidisciplinary coalition for the long term. But for the sake of Centreville residents, he hopes this issue can be resolved much more quickly than that.

       “I plan to help as a member of the Centreville project indefinitely,” added Greenfield. “Based on the recent media attention, I am hoping there will be some government or other funds allocated to help fix the damaged infrastructure in the region and provide relief for the Centreville residents.”

Photo:  Department of Environmental Sciences Asst. Prof. Ben Greenfield assisting Centreville residents dealing with pollution. (credit: Nicole Nelson, Equity Legal Services)