CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. – Cahokia Heights has lost more than a million dollars meant to help fix a decades-old sewage problem.

Rep. Nikki Buzinski (IL-13) says about $67 million in federal funding for projects in her district were left out of congress’ latest continuing resolution to keep the government funded. This includes $1.1 million meant originally appropriated for a portion of the Cahokia Heights sewer system project.

For almost 30 years, Yvette Lyles has dealt with sewage in her yard, crawlspace, and garage every time there is decent rainfall.

“I’m tired of crying over something like this when it could be fixed and it’s not fixed,” she said.

The ongoing problems with the city’s sewer system has cost some families thousands of dollars in repairs and health complications.

“We’re human beings. It’s inhumane to expect for any people, I don’t care what their color is, but especially us since we’re minority, to live in a sewage-swamped area,” Lyles said.

Last winter, the city reached an agreement with the EPA to address this issue. The city agreed to make $30 million worth of upgrades and repairs to improve sewage overflow in the area. But now some worry about how much work can be done without funding from the federal government.

Equity Legal Services has been fighting to help residents recover from this mess.

“It’s devastating, but not surprising. It seems the residents have come to roadblock after roadblock after roadblock to getting this fixed,” attorney Kennedy Moehrs Gardner said. “I just want to make clear that this has been going on for decades and decades. So, funding should’ve been here already.”

“If you cared, you wouldn’t let your residents continue to live like this, and that’s a bad feeling; to know that you live in a community and you care about it, but the politicians don’t care as much as you do,” Lyles said.

By the time of publication, the mayor of Cahokia Heights did not respond to FOX 2’s request for information on how this will affect the city’s project.