Missouri
State Agencies Supporting Water System Partnerships
Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC)
Missouri Department of Natural Resources – Water Protection Program
State Policies and Programs Regarding Water System Partnerships
DWSRF PRIORITIZATION OF CONSOLIDATION PROJECTS
The DWSRF program gives priority to projects that would expand service as a regional water supplier are awarded 20 points. 20 points are also awarded for any projects that include interconnection between two or more water systems. Projects that would consolidate the management of two or more systems are awarded 10 points.
OPERATOR SHARING
Missouri hosts an online Operator Certification Database with information about certified operators who are willing to contract with owners of water systems in the state. Water system owners can use the database to search for operators nearby (by county) that are certified at the desired level. In addition, operators can search the database for water systems that either have no operator listed, or list an operator who isn’t properly certified.
ENGINEERING REPORT SERVICES GRANTS
Engineering Report Services grants are funded through the Department of Natural Resources’ Public Drinking Water Branch. Participation in this grant program is based on compliance, infrastructure condition and capacity, as well willingness of the systems’ owner to look at consolidation options, whether physical, operational or managerial. Engineering contract services provide very small systems with the funding to have an entire system evaluation performed, considering several options including consolidation with nearby water systems. When small systems apply for engineering contract services, they're required to demonstrate a good faith effort to apply for project development and construction funding through the Missouri Water and Wastewater Review Committee, which houses the state and federal funding agencies.
STATE ORDERED CONSOLIDATION OR RECEIVERSHIP
Missouri Revised Statutes (MRS) stipulate that the PSC can petition a Circuit Court for an order to attach the assets and appoint a receiver of a water system, serving less than 8,000 people, that is unable or unwilling to provide safe and adequate service, has abandoned or effectively abandoned its business, or has defaulted on any financial obligation owed to a unit of state government. The receiver must operate the system in the best interests of the customers and must attempt to preserve the assets of the system until further notice from the court. The court after a hearing, must determine whether to return control and responsibility of the system back to its owners or order the receiver to liquidate the assets of the system. (MRS § 393.145)
Helpful Links to State Resources
- Operator Certification: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/opcert/oprtrain.htm
- Contract Operator Form (to be entered into the operator certification database): http://www.dnr.mo.gov/forms/780-2002-f.pdf
- Missouri Revised Statutes: http://revisor.mo.gov/main/Home.aspx
- Public Drinking Water Branch: https://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/dw-index.html
- Capacity Development: https://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/cap-dev.htm
- Financial Assistance (including DWSRF): http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/srf/index.html
- Engineering Report Services Grants: http://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/pdwb/eng-report-svcs.htm