Project

As part of a long-term effort to reduce basement backups and sewer overflows, MSD Project Clear is designing a project to construct approximately 8,500 feet of wastewater pipe in City of Ladue. The project is estimated to begin construction as early as the Spring of 2023.

Watch Public Meeting - December 16, 2020

Why is this project being designed?

As part of their evaluation, our team of engineers determined that the sewer in this neighborhood is undersized and in need of repairs. During intense rainfall, the sewers become overloaded leading to basement backups and wastewater overflows into Black Creek.

What is the goal of this project?

MSD Project Clear is investing approximately $10 million to design and construct this project to increase the size of the existing sewer. This will reduce the likelihood of basement backups during heavy rainfall and prevent untreated wastewater from spilling into local waterways.

Project Facts

• Construction is estimated to begin as early as Spring 2023
• MSD Project Clear will replace approximately 8,500 feet of wastewater pipe
• The pipe size will increase to between 12 and 42-inches in diameter allowing a larger amount of wastewater to flow through the system.
• This project will remove three constructed overflows, which are points where untreated wastewater spills into Black Creek during heavy rain.

What can residents expect?

Though construction for this project is not estimated to begin until at least Spring of 2023, it is important to be prepared for what to expect. In the Spring of 2021, residents whose property will need to be accessed to construct the project will be contacted in order to obtain necessary easements.

At this time, MSD Project Clear anticipates the contractor will use two methods to construct the project. Most of the project will likely be constructed by digging through the surface of the ground in a process known as “open-cut” construction. In areas with utility conflicts, traffic control issues, or general access concerns, the contractor will likely use tunneling, which allows them to lay pipe with minimal disruption to the surface.

Traffic and Access: Because much of the construction will take place in the roadway, residents should expect lane closures and possible changes to traffic patterns.

The contractor will follow all local ordinances and will notify all properties of any temporary access restrictions. In areas where open-cut construction will be used, there will be periods when driveways may be inaccessible. The contractor will give all property owners ample notification prior to any access restrictions.

With any type of construction, residents can expect to see and hear heavy equipment and significant volumes of truck traffic during the sewer excavation process. The pictures above depict what a neighborhood will look like before, during, and after a typical project.

After all new sewer pipes are installed, the contractor will restore the construction site according to all local and District requirements. This could include sodding any 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.

• Complete Project Design: Fall 2020
• Easement acquisition completion: Fall 2022
• Estimated construction start: Early as Spring 2023
• Estimated project duration: 24 to 30 months