MML Webinar

Integrated Planning in Missouri

Presenter: David Carani and Lacey Hirschvogel, HDR

Description: Population growth, aging infrastructure, increasingly complex water quality issues, and challenging economic conditions are straining municipal utility management across the country. This situation has been further complicated by federal and state regulatory structures that focus on enforcing individual Clean Water Act requirements on fixed schedules, without full consideration of all obligations that a utility may be facing or whether compliance efforts will result in meaningful improvements in environmental and public health. 

In 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to give municipalities needed flexibility to cost-effectively address wastewater and stormwater issues and make environmental improvements that are aligned with community priorities. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources have been a strong supporter of integrated planning and several Missouri municipalities have used this new approach to reshape capital programs, negotiate affordable compliance schedules, and position their utilities to take advantage of new funding opportunities. This presentation will provide an overview of these successful planning efforts.