Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Project Clear is continuing to encourage landowners to install rainscaping features on their property with the Rainscaping Small Grants Program 2019-2020 grant round. Approved landowners residing within the designated Program Area, which now includes the River des Peres combined sewer area, will be reimbursed up to $4,000 for installing rainscaping features on their property, which helps the environment by reducing the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system.
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Project Clear is continuing to encourage landowners to install rainscaping features on their property with the Rainscaping Small Grants Program 2019-2020 grant round. Approved landowners residing within the designated Program Area, which now includes the River des Peres combined sewer area, will be reimbursed up to $4,000 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 an excellent way to engage the public and educate them about MSD Project Clear,” said Brian Hoelscher, Executive Director & CEO of MSD.
“These kinds of partnerships allow us to create greater community and sewer system benefits throughout the region.”
Using simple techniques, rainscaping collects and filters rainwater where it falls- the way nature intended- instead of transporting it somewhere else. Lowering the amount of stomwater runoff entering the sewer system helps improves the water quality and ecological balance of area creeks, streams, and rivers by reducing sewer overflows. It also reduces stormwater pollution, which occurs as runoff flows toward the street, absorbing pet waste, pesticides, and other contaminants before it enters the sewer system that transports it to streams and lakes, often without treatment.
For homeowners, rainscaping has the added benefit of minimizing basement backups, helping to resolve yard ponding, and supporting biodiversity by creating a habitat for a wide variety of garden life.
Interested applicants should visit www.ProjectClearSTL.org/SmallGrants to learn more, or call 314-577-0202. Only landowners residing within the Grant Program Area are eligible to apply. Applicants are required to attend a Landowner Orientation Session within the current (2019-2020) or previous (2018-2019) program round. Advance registration is required. Applicants are encouraged to register early as space is limited.
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MSD Project Clear is investing $120 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, with the last round (2018-2019) awarding over 80 grants.
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About MSD Project Clear
MSD Project Clear is Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District’s initiative to improve water quality and alleviate many wastewater concerns in the St. Louis region. MSD Project Clear will invest billions of dollars over a generation in planning, designing, and building community rainscaping and system improvements, along with an ambitious program of maintenance and repair and the disconnection of some residential downspouts in parts of St. Louis County’s separate sewer area from the wastewater sewer line. This work is an agreement between MSD and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The St. Louis region’s success with MSD Project Clear will only be possible through strong partnerships and clear communication with the public.
To learn more about the MSD agreement with EPA, please visit
www.stldmsd.com/aboutmsd/organization/consentdecree.
For more information on MSD Project Clear, visit ProjectClearSTL.org
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