Project Clear is the engagement effort surrounding the 23 year, $4.7 billion initiative to plan, design and build system wide improvements to address water quality and alleviate many wastewater concerns in the St. Louis community.
“MSD has entered into a consent decree which involves a large CIRP program, CMOM activities, an I&I removal program, and green infrastructure with the goal of removing SSOs and abating CSOs.” If you understand that sentence with all its acronyms, then that’s great! But to many of us, that sentence reads like a foreign language. That why it’s so important for MSD to communicate in a way people can understand. Keeping that in mind, we’re pleased to announce the launch of Project Clear. Project Clear is the engagement effort surrounding the 23 year, $4.7 billion initiative to plan, design and build system wide improvements to address water quality and alleviate many wastewater concerns in the St. Louis community. Project Clear will ensure that:
- We will be clear in our priorities
- We will be clear in our communications
- We are working to maintain clear water for the St. Louis community
Among the first projects undertaken as part of Project Clear involves disconnecting residential downspouts from the sanitary sewer line. Much of the excess water that contributes to basement backups and sewer overflows comes during storms, heavy rain or significant snowmelt through downspouts, sump pumps and stormwater drains that are connected directly to the sanitary sewer line. In most cases, removing these connections from the sanitary sewer line is so important to dealing with these problems that MSD will remove them at no cost to property owners. Larger projects related to Project Clear include storage tunnels. These tunnels are in the initial stages of design and planning. As these projects develop and move toward construction, we will keep you updated on their progress. Green infrastructure solutions, such as rain gardens, pervious pavement and planter boxes, will also be used as part of the effort to create long-term and effective solutions for stormwater management. Project Clear consultants are conducting field inspections, and initial letters have been sent to those in most project areas. If you see a Project Clear truck in your neighborhood, please don’t hesitate to ask them questions. You may also call or 24-hour customer service line at 314-768-6260. You can find more information on the Project Clear website or by following Project Clear on Twitter (@ProjectClearSTL) or on Facebook.