I think it is a legitmate surcharge, and it will force all local architects, engineers and designers to eventually do what has been done for several years in California, namely designing wastewater so that it absorbs into the ground and/or serves some other purpose (as a source of lawn sprinklers, etc). During the next several years, we’ll come to realize that the world we were taught to live in no longer exists–a future shock as it were–and among the changes we’ll have to learn to live with include much higher energy costs, higher utility costs, higher food costs, and severe penalties for waste. The days of plenty are probably behind us! We’re soon going to have to learn to live like the Europeans.

WHAT?!?!?!?

I just covered my lawn in Astroturf (so I don’t have to mow it) and I get hit with THIS NEW TAX?!?!?!?!

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Oh well…..

all my drains run into my grass and they are still charging the fee, How is that right? what a rip off

How do people think that this is not fair? Don’t you all know that water must have a conduit to reach the rivers and streams. Who do you think maintains these conduits (pipes)? I bet if they were clogged and your homes filled with water you would be calling on MSD. But wait one second how do you think MSD pays for the equipment used to maintain these pipes? Oh thats right under the old rate system they collected .24 cents a month. At todays gas prices and the cost of postage, that .24 cents will get you real far. Come on people let’s be real, quit your complaining. Don’t you think that there are more things out there to spend your time on than crying about your cheapest utility bill. Again let me remind you that if you don’t want MSD to gid rid of the water for you, why don’t you just keep it!

Hmmmmm: Since this doesn’t apply to me, I shouldn’t point out any flaws in thier thinking. A better method would have been to use a hydrologists findings. Would I pay the fee as they ask. Of Course. It would give me standing in court. Then, they would find it necessary to defend their decision, and the methods used. Can they do that? No. This is too funny.

Roof tops cause flooding? Driveways cause flooding? Hilarious. Paved streets cause flooding? Oh, funny, did they make allowances for paved streets causing flooding? Did they deduct that from what they are asking home owners to pay?

This is great. I hope the PD will give us more information on how their decision was made. STRANGE? For sure. Defensable. No.

We have already called to protest our $13.68/month sewer bill and received the form to state our case. While the ‘pervious’ calculation on our property may be close to correct, there is no adjustment for our 4 acres of grass, which absorbs not just runoff from us but much of the runoff from higher land. We plan to bill MSD for this service we have been providing all these years. [We have never received an MSD bill before (other than the surcharge on the property tax bill) and don’t believe they will ever do anything with storm water runoff from this area of large lots.]

I have done a fair amount of research on this and talked to several persons at MSD, including LeComb and their CFO. You get lots of different stories. My water run-off goes directly into a creek, 1/4 mile directly to the Mississippi River. My small business bill has gone up from .34 cents/mo to $65.00/month. I’m not great with this math, but I think that is a 195,000 % increase. If gas went up this same percentage, it would be $585.00/per Gallon!!

I am not a big proponent of more government regulation, but industry and utilities that have proven themselves unethical and take advantage of their monopoly positiion, MUST be regulated out of their position of extortion.

The 12 member MSD board of ‘volunteers’ that proposed this rate hike were appointed 6 each by Mayor Slay in the City and by Charles Dooley in the County. These are the only elected officials that can feel the wrath of those irate about these insane increases. These two gentleman need a overwhelming amount of letters and calls expressing frustration at their involvement in this untimely drain on our local economy, and if they do nothing…..then let your votes be heard!

This was also a very stealthy way to squeeze a substantial amount of money out of all our churches who did not pay MSD portions because of their exemption from Real Estate Taxes. (I guess some MORE private schools and churches will be closing their doors forever)

This whole thing is just plain unAmerican. We had no real influence in this whole process. (Our opportunities over the last year to show up at vaguely described public meetings for MSD rate increases was not ever intended to be influenced substantially by the public) If MSD had been honest and told people and businesses that their Stormwater bills could increase 200 fold if their proposals succeeded….there would have been riots and outrage…..but meetings for utility rate increases is so common now, we’d all have to quit our jobs to attend all these public hearings)

email info@charliedooley.com phone 615-7016
email mayorslay@mayorslay.com phone 534-2005

Peg. Don’t back away from your position. Based on what you stated, you are on solid ground…errrrr, on ground that absorbs water. If the city built a sewer system that was inadequate to provide a discharge for sewage, and rainwater, that is not your fault.

Have they figured out yet that excess ran, more than the soil can absorb, usually flows downhill?

Let them sue the hydrological engineers and the civil engineers. for a flaw in the design of, and the construction of their sewage system or the contractors who put in the the conduits and made them too small.

Their reasoning is beyond belief.

OK…where is all this new money going? Why does River Des Peres and all the local creeks still look like toxic waste dumps? If we are paying more, we want to see more improvements and not bigger checks to the MSD executives and stock holders.

MSD is once again using strong arm tactics. Those who don’t have MSD should not be billed for this. We should be allowed to continue to pay this on our real estate bills at the rates we’ve been charged with modest increases acceptable. Our bill is 500% more than what we paid on our real estate taxes and according to MSD will increase another 2 1/2 times by the time it reaches its max. MSD said they tried to contact those on septic systems to let them know about this, but had difficulity getting the information. It’s amazing how they suddenly found our name to send us a bill. They held public meetings, but why would we attend a public hearing on MSD rates when we don’t even have MSD. We don’t intend to pay the bill and hope others on septic systems do the same. We all need to band together to fight this. Even those with MSD should fight the unfair increases for the storm water fee or simply not pay it. MSD should be forced back to the bargining table to establish more equitable billing. Call or write your county council person, the county executive, the mayor, your state representative and your state senator. The more who do this will help. Also plan to attend the next public portion of the MSD meeting which I believe is the first Thursday of June. The info is on their website. We have one word for MSD spoken by an American soldier during the Battle of the Bulge and that word in “NUTS”.