State approves $200M Springfield sewer plan

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has given its stamp of approval to the city of Springfield’s $200 million plan to control sewer overflow.

The plan, which was approved by City Council in December, would charge taxpayers for improvements during a 10-year period, according to a news release.

“Our (overflow control plan) takes a unique approach to reducing sanitary sewer overflows and represents a significant savings to our ratepayers over more traditional plans,” said Steve Meyer, director of the city’s Environmental Services department, in the release.

Springfield’s plan was submitted after the state DNR began working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to more strictly enforce rules related to sanitary system overflows, which are prohibited under the 1972 Clean Water Act. The plan is designed to eliminate those overflows in Springfield, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

According to the release, most large and medium-size communities nationwide are under similar legal orders.

After the 10-year plan is complete, the city would work to submit a new plan in 2025.