The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) acted Tuesday to relocate two families on Dellridge Court in the north St. Louis County after the hillside behind their homes shifted nearly 10 feet away from the homes and toward a stormwater drainage channel that is maintained by MSD.
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) acted Tuesday to relocate two families on Dellridge Court in the north St. Louis County after the hillside behind their homes shifted nearly 10 feet away from the homes and toward a stormwater drainage channel that is maintained by MSD. After nearly five (5) inches of rain in the last two weeks, MSD geotechnical inspectors visited the area late Monday afternoon, May 13 and determined that the shift in the ground had reached a point where the two homes in question may no longer be safe, given the forecast for more precipitation overnight on Tuesday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 15. The two homes in question are the only structures in jeopardy, and MSD is covering all the related costs for the families that have been relocated.
The District has been working in this area since Spring 2018 on possible solutions to stabilize the hillside. MSD contacted the homeowners early Tuesday morning to coordinate the relocation of the families as a temporary solution, and to discuss long-term solutions. Sensors and other equipment have been placed in the area to monitor the movement of the ground, both in proximity to these two homes, and in the area of Dellridge Court road itself although the District sees no danger to the roadway.
The increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rain events in our region contributes to problems of this nature, and MSD monitors those it is aware of on a regular basis. Stormwater issues the District knows about, most of which have been reported by the public, are inspected to ensure public safety and are prioritized based on this and and other factors. The public can report new or worsening stormwater issues, such as erosion, ponding and localized flooding should be reported to MSD at (314)768-6260.
MSD is able to take this action because it maintains the engineered drainage channel that runs behind this neighborhood, which was built partly by the developer in 1979-1980. MSD engineered an additional section. Because the situation constitutes an urgent public safety issue, funding for both the temporary and permanent solutions at Dellridge Court is available through the region-wide ten-cent stormwater funding that voters approved in 2016. More comprehensive funding for stormwater problems of this and other types was the purpose of MSD’s April 2019 stormwater proposal, called Proposition S, which voters rejected.
About the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD)
Created in 1954, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) works every day to protect the public’s health and the natural environment through effective wastewater and stormwater management strategies.
MSD is responsible for the public sewer system that homes and businesses connect to through lateral lines. Through a labyrinth of connected sewers, wastewater is transported to one of seven sewer treatment plants – nearly 7,000 miles of sewers in all. That is like going from St. Louis to New York City and back three times! Individual property owners are responsible for another important part of the system, the sewer lateral that connects a home’s plumbing to the public sewer in the street. For more information on MSD, visit stlmsd.com or follow us on Twitter @MSDProjectClear.