MSD Project Clear is once again presenting an option to voters for financing the next several years of wastewater system improvements. This is similar to ballot issues decided by voters in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Proposition Y, which will appear on the April 6, 2021 ballot in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, will allow voters to decide how they want to fund the necessary improvements to our regional wastewater system through June 2024.
MCE strongly supports proposition Y because it means:
- Quicker construction of needed pollution abatement facilities
- Much less expensive costs to do so by issuing bonds at monthly rates
- Improvement of air quality by upgrading disposal technology
- As well as, it would meet consent decree requirements
These changes are a required component of MSD's 2012 agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. The question before voters is how to pay for the improvements. Between now and 2024, MSD is planning to spend approximately $1.58 billion undertaking nearly 300 projects designed to:
- Eliminate wastewater overflows,
- Reduce wastewater building backups,
- Repair and rehabilitate the wastewater sewer system,
- Upgrades at Bissell Point and Lemay Wastewater Treatment Plants, and
- Retire the Fenton Wastewater Treatment Plant.
How does the April 6 election impact what customers pay?
