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drought conditions
5:47 pm
Thu September 20, 2012

Drought improves in Mo., but still expected to continue

Credit National Drought Mitigation Center, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln
U.S. Drought Monitor map, as of Sept. 18th, 2012.
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Drought conditions have eased across most of Missouri, but some parts of the state are still very dry.


Much of the relief can be credited to the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, which moved through the Show-Me State three weeks ago.  Brian Fuchs is a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  He says, though, that portions of Missouri missed out.

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Stormwater service
6:38 am
Thu September 6, 2012

When it comes to stormwater service, MSD is facing a perfect 'storm' of problems

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Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox)
Water whipping around the bend in Fishpot Creek carved this 25-foot cliff behind houses on Pepperdine Ct.
Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox)
At the height of the problem, Ron Cox's dog (lower right corner) would have been standing on the edge of the cliff, 12 feet from his back door.
Credit (photo courtesy of Ron Cox.)
Work on MSD's effort to stabilize the bank of Fishpot Creek is underway in April 2009. The utility borrowed capital dollars from a wealthier area of the city, then paid back the loan with funds from a now-illegal impervious fee.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
Carither Hite's backyard on Evans Lane. She says the foliage was once above the power lines - but years of runoff from poorly-designed sewers on the street above have moved the trees down the hill.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
This house at the corner of James St. and Evans Ln. shows the effects of settling brought on by poor stormwater drainage.
Credit (Rachel Lippmann/St. Louis Public Radio)
This stretch of Evans Lane has no stormwater inlets - the openings in the curb where water drains into larger pipes during a storm.
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The remnants of Hurricane Isaac ended a summer-long dry spell. But for some customers of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, it meant flooded backyards and basements.

For decades, MSD funded its stormwater service with a patchwork of different taxes, which allowed the agency to meet its regulatory requirements. But repairs were a different story.

Some parts of the region were flush with cash for capital projects. It took others months or years to accumulate enough funds for even basic repairs.

Earlier this year, a state appeals court struck down a potential solution - a fee based on how much water a property could absorb. An appeal to the state Supreme Court is pending.

For now, MSD has gone back to its old taxing districts - allowing the lingering problems to get worse.

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