Brentwood and Red Bud CSO Elimination (12139)
As part of a long-term effort to reduce basement backups and sewer overflows, MSD Project Clear is designing a project to replace approximately 9,200 feet of wastewater sewer and 4,200 feet of stormwater sewer in the cities of Richmond Heights and Clayton, Missouri. MSD Project Clear will also disconnect sources where stormwater and groundwater enter the wastewater sewers (known as inflow and infiltration) from approximately 65 private properties.
The project is estimated to begin construction in late 2023.
Video Presentation - August 20, 2020 Public Meeting
About the Project
Project Map
Northern part of the project
Southern part of the project
Why is this project being designed?
MSD Project Clear has a long-term agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment to improve the quality of the St. Louis area waterways. As part of that agreement, MSD is committed to removing overflow points, known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs), where wastewater discharges directly into creeks and streams before being cleaned at one of our seven treatment plants.
As part of their evaluation, our team of engineers determined that the sewers in this area needed to be separated. They also discovered several places where stormwater was entering MSD’s wastewater sewer system, known as inflow and infiltration. When stormwater enters the wastewater sewers, the pipes can become overwhelmed, increasing the likelihood of backups in homes and businesses and overflows into local waterways. It also reduces the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plants, costing MSD and its customers more money to clean wastewater before returning it to the environment.
What is the goal of this project?
To fix the problem described above, MSD Project Clear is investing approximately $14.4 million to separate the sewers in this area, increase the size of the wastewater and stormwater pipes and to disconnect sources of inflow and infiltration from about 65 private properties. This will reduce the likelihood of basement backups in homes and businesses and will allow MSD to remove one constructed overflow point (known as a CSO) from its wastewater sewer system.
Project Facts
- Construction is estimated to begin in late 2023
- MSD Project Clear will construct approximately 9,200 feet of wastewater pipe varying in size from 6” to 30” in diameter and 4,200 lineal feet of stormwater pipe varying in size from 12” to 21”
- For the majority of the project, MSD’s contractor will put the pipe in by digging through the surface, a process known as “open-cut.”
What can residents expect?
Though construction for this project is not estimated to begin until 2023, it is important to be prepared for what to expect. Beginning in August 2020, MSD will also begin contacting property owners to obtain necessary easements for properties MSD will need access to in order to construct the project, including property owners for the 65 properties where MSD will disconnect sources of inflow and infiltration.
During construction, MSD’s contractor will put the pipe in by digging through the surface, a process known as “open-cut.” Because much of the construction takes place in the roadway, customers may experience lane and road closures. However, MSD will have a traffic mitigation plan to ensure residents have access to homes and businesses, and at least one lane of traffic will remain open at all times.
With any construction, residents can expect to see and hear heavy equipment during the sewer excavation process. The pictures above depict what a neighborhood will look like before, during, and after a typical project.
After the contractor installs all new pipes, they will restore the construction site according to all local and District requirements. This could include sodding disturbed areas, replacing disturbed pavement, reinstalling fences, etc.
At least one MSD Inspector will be on-site part of the day for every day the contractor is working.
What is the timeline?
This is the current tentative project schedule. This is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including weather.
- Design phase completion: Early 2023
- Easement acquisition: August 2020 – February 2022
- Estimated construction start date: Late 2023*
- Estimated construction duration: Approximately 2 years
*Anticipated construction start date is subject to change. MSD will notify residents before beginning construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
MSD’s team evaluated another option that included directing combined sewer flows to a CSO storage tunnel that MSD will be designing and constructing. The sewer separation option was the most cost-efficient way to achieve the project goals.
The objective of the Linden Storm Sewer project, which is currently in construction, is to eliminate basement flooding in the area.
Construction for this project is anticipated to start in mid-2023. MSD will be bidding the project to select a contractor to complete the construction, and that contractor will be required to submit a detailed traffic control plan to MSD for approval prior to construction. At this time, MSD does not yet have detailed plans for those dates, however, after the contractor is selected, MSD will hold a second public meeting to give community members an opportunity to learn more about the construction timeline and details. Working hours for the contractor are typically from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Different working hours may be requested by the Contractor and approved by individual municipalities according to the respective city’s ordinance.
Trees may need to be removed to construct parts of this project. Property owners with trees that will need to be removed that are not located in already existing easements will be compensated for the removal through the easement acquisition process. If there are good options to avoid removing trees, MSD will make every attempt to do that.
After private stormwater is disconnected from the wastewater system, it will drain naturally across the surface via natural drainage ways and into the new MSD storm sewer or existing combined sewer (that will be used for storm water drainage when project is complete).
This project will help reduce basement backups (often referred to as “flooding”) which is when water overflows into a basement through a floor drain. This happens when more water gets into our sewers than the sewers can handle. Because MSD will be separating the stormwater from the wastewater system, this project will reduce the likelihood of basement backups. MSD is not a flood authority, and our sewers cannot help to prevent overland flooding, which is when water from the surface gets into a home from window wells, cracks in your foundation, or other entry points. This project will help reduce backups, but it will not address flooding.
During active construction, some property owners may experience driveway access restrictions for a short period of time. The contractor will notify property owners in advance of any temporary access restrictions to allow them time to move their vehicles. The contractor will also fill trenches with gravel or place steel plates over trenches during non-working hours so property owners can use their driveways during those times.
Prior to beginning construction, the contractor will need to submit a traffic control plan to MSD for approval. This plan will include information on where residents should park during access restrictions. MSD will hold a second public meeting after a contractor is selected and prior to beginning construction to inform residents about the traffic control plan and other construction details.
The construction timeframe will depend on the type of work taking place on each property. MSD will hold a second public meeting after it has selected a contractor for this job. At that time, residents may speak directly with the contractor to get a better idea of anticipated construction timeframes for their property.
Occasionally a contractor may experience unexpected delays during construction due to unforeseen soil conditions, unanticipated utilities, weather, etc. If you have questions about construction delays, please contact the project manager or call MSD’s 24-hour customer service number at 314-768-6260 and ask to speak with the project manager.
MSD will update Frequently Asked Questions as the project manager receives questions.
Documents
Stay Informed
Patricia Pride, MSD Project Manager
Paprid@stlmsd.com
(314) 768-6275
Jeffrey Gratzer, HDR Inc.
Jeffrey.Gratzer@hdrinc.com
(314) 425-8329
(Please mention the Project Number: 12139)