Approved landowners will be reimbursed up to $3,000 for installing rainscaping features
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) is continuing to encourage landowners to install rainscaping features on their property with the start of the MSD Project Clear Rainscaping Small Grants Program 2018-2019 grant round. Approved landowners residing within the designated Grant Program Area (left) will be reimbursed up to $3,000 for installing rainscaping features on their property, which helps the environment by reducing the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system.
“Rainscaping grant programs are a key component of MSD Project Clear,” said Brian Hoelscher, Executive Director & CEO of MSD. “We love the opportunity to partner with our community, and working together achieves greater sewer system benefits than MSD could accomplish alone.”
Using simple techniques, rainscaping collects and filters rainwater where it falls- the way nature intended. By lowering the amount of stomwater runoff entering the sewer system, rainscaping within the Grant Program Area specifically helps to alleviate basement backups. It also addresses water quality in the Mississippi River from sewer overflows which can sometimes occur during periods of heavy rain. Rainscaping has the added benefit for homeowners by helping to resolve yard ponding, and it supports biodiversity by creating a habitat for a wide variety of garden life.
Interested applicants should visit www.ProjectClearSTL.org/rainscaping to learn more, or call 314-577-0202. Only landowners within the Grant Program Area are eligible to apply. Applicants are required to attend a Landowner Orientation Session within the current (2018-2019) or previous (2017-2018) program round. Early registration is encouraged, as space is limited.
MSD Project Clear is investing $100 million towards rainscaping efforts as part of an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri Coalition for the Environment to improve water quality in our community. The Rainscaping Small Grants Program began in 2014. The last round (2017-2018) awarded over $300,000.
The Rainscaping Small Grants Program is in addition to MSD Project Clear’s Rainscaping Large-Scale Grants Program, which is designed for large corporate/industrial projects. Information for 2018-2019 Large-Scale Grants will be coming soon to www.ProjectClearSTL.org/rainscaping.