Two representatives from Missouri American Water – Brian Eisenloeffel, senior director of operations, and Timothy Southards, engineering manager – gave a presentation on the projects going on in the area at the Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen meeting on March 12, including an update on the water tower project
Southards began by discussing the intake – the structure placed in the Meramec River that pumps water into the south treatment plant – and reasons why replacement is necessary.
“The intake was built originally in the ‘50s on the Meramec, and as we’ve seen the last couple of years, the Meramec has experienced several pretty major flood events. That station did flood twice recently, in 2015 and 2017, and impacted our ability to pull water from the river, treat it and distribute it to all of our customers. This project is largely designed to replace the aging infrastructure, but also trying to make a more flood resilient structure,” he said.
Construction of a new concrete structure has begun and is estimated to be complete with water running through it by the end of the year. Demolition of the old intake is estimated to begin in the spring of 2025.
The south treatment plant itself was built in the 1960s. Though investments have been made to “provide overall resiliency operational efficiencies,” a couple of large-scale projects are in the beginning stages to improve those efficiencies.
“Some of those will include how we process and apply chemicals to the water,” Southards said. “We will also be looking at filter projects in the long term to help increase operational efficiencies and replace some of the aging infrastructure at that plant.”
The last project that was touched on before questions opened was the construction of the new water storage tank, also known as the new water tower, that has already begun in Sunset Hills.
The water company is replacing its old tower at 11834 Sappington Barracks Road with the new tower. It had previously been a contentious issue in Sunset Hills since it backs up to residential property, even becoming the subject of a lawsuit as to whether or not municipalities can dictate utility companies.
“It’s a composite construction, which means there’s a concrete pedestal and a welded steel bowl up top,” Southards said. “Over the next couple months, the concrete is going to start coming up out of the ground, (and) the bowl will be constructed around it.”
If all goes to plan, the bowl will be raised at the end of 2024 or early 2025. Interior work inside the bowl and the pedestal will be done in early 2025, with the goal that the new water tank will be completed and ready to serve the community by May 2025. After completion, demolition of the old, existing tank, built in 1936, is scheduled to begin.
Ward 4 Alderman Fred Daues began the question portion of the discussion, asking if the new water tower will improve the water pressure issues many in Sunset Hills are currently facing.
“Elevation is the name of the game with water. So the higher you sit in elevation, the top of the hill, the lower your water pressure is going to be,” Eisenloeffel said. “This new tank is going to be slightly taller than the old one, which will provide some additional pressure benefits. It’s also a little bit larger so that we can provide more stable pressure. That tank today is a little bit smaller, and so you’ll see more fluctuations as the level in that tank goes up and down, because consumers are faster than we can produce it.”
Ward 3 Alderman Cathy Friedmann asked several questions – from leaking water to construction vehicles driving on residential streets – that she received from residents of her ward, as she is the sole alderman of Ward 3 following Randy Epperson’s resignation. Ward 3 is the most affected by the construction of the new tower as it is located there.
Before it was the audience members’ turn for questions, Mayor Pat Fribis asked the board if they had any opposition to putting the city logo on the new water tank. All were in favor, and though details need to be finalized, Missouri American Water said they would work with city staff to arrange it.
This led to a few questions about the lighting of the tower, particularly of the logo. One resident asked if the logo could face Gravois as opposed to the nearby residences to avoid additional light spillage, though the MAW representatives and Fribis said they did not see the need for lighting the logo in the first place.
Another resident asked about the large inflatable rat seen at the site, saying “It’s actually scaring my four-year-old because it’s kind of creepy looking.”
“That’s a dispute, I’ll say, between some of the organized labor unions here in the region and the contractor who’s doing the work,” Eisenloeffel said. “Those folks have a right to, you know, assemble in public areas and voice their opinion and there’s nothing I can do.”
The local unions are protesting the fact that Missouri American Water hired a firm from Texas to do the construction. According to Southards, in his experience “every water tower constructor would experience the same issue.”