The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District plans a project on Pardee Lane in Crestwood designed to alleviate overflows into Gravois Creek that could cost up to $40 million.

The project will include the construction of two sewage storage tanks, totaling 7.8 million gallons, on the site of the city’s Public Works facility at 8645 Pardee Lane. Work is expected to begin in early 2018. As a result, the Public Works facility will move to 9353-9375 Watson Industrial Drive.

Besides the construction of two sewage anks, the Gravois Trunk Sanitary Storage Facility Project will include a pump station, piping and two structures to divert wet weather flow to the pump station, according to information provided to the city by the sewer district.

The work will be performed through MSD Project Clear, undertaken as part of a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

“The project, in a general sense, like anything else that we’re doing through MSD Project Clear, is aimed to alleviate sewer overflows and basement backups, and that’s what this project is …,” MSD Manager of Public Information Lance LeComb told the Call.

“During rain events, sewage will be pumped to the storage tanks, thus preventing sewage backups into basements, overflows into Gravois Creek and overloading of downstream sewers,” the MSD information states. “After each rain event, the sewage will be released back into the sewer system when capacity is available. Treatment is provided at the Lemay Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

City Administrator Kris Simpson told the Call that the city’s Public Works facility would move to its new location on Watson Industrial Drive in early 2018.

“MSD is paying for all of it, and we’re just transferring properties,” he said.

Regarding the project, Simpson said, “This is the option among the alternatives they were considering that reduces the impact on the community itself. If they didn’t go on our Public Works facility, then they would be occupying multiple home sites down Pardee. So this is kind of a win-win-win for everyone.

“This is the cheapest option for MSD. We get a Public Works facility and they don’t have to take out more homes than they have to.”