By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph is set to receive $25 million for sewer upgrades with passage of the Water Resources Development Act by Congress.
The act, tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes $50 million dollars for sewer and stormwater projects throughout northern Missouri. Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves’ office reports St. Joseph will receive half that amount.
St. Joseph Public Works Director Abe Forney says $20 million will be used to comply with new EPA requirements on phosphorus, with $5 million scheduled to replace the old, brick sewer lines that lets groundwater seep in.
“These EPA regulations have been extremely hard for municipalities financially to keep up with and this money is going to be a huge step in getting us compliant with those regulations,” Forney tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
St. Joseph Public Works Deputy Director Keven Schneider says the money will help offset the rising cost of complying with existing and new federal regulations.
“So, any number of these changes is very costly anymore,” Schneider tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Sewer rates have been a bone of contention among St. Joseph residents, who have rarely hesitated to complain about their rising cost. The city has responded that the cost of keeping up with increased federal regulations has driven up sewer rates.
In a news release, Congressman Graves applauded the efforts of St. Joseph city officials to freeze sewer rates in 2018.
Forney, though, can’t rule out further rate hikes if the EPA pushes further federal regulations. For now, though, this federal funding will help offset the cost of complying with the new phosphorous regulations without requiring an increase in sewer rates.
“But this amount of money that we receive will upgrade our existing system and it will be money we, as the city, do not have to pay for these EPA regulations,” Forney says.
The Congressman’s office does point out that once the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 is signed into law by the president, funding will still need to be appropriated by Congress for St. Joseph to receive it. Graves says securing that funding will be a top priority of his in the upcoming session of Congress.