Willow takes a stand on EPA regulations

Federal regulations are about to reach into every water pipe in America, but the City of Willow Springs pledges to draw a line in the sand. The pledge to respect private property ownership.

 

“We will not go onto their property, and that’s what I’ve told our staff,” City Administrator Beverly Hicks said Thursday night. 

 

According to Hicks, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to make municipalities and other water providers responsible for all water service lines from the main to the tap. As it stands, the City of Willow Springs’ responsibility ends at the main. From the meter to the house is the landowner’s responsibility, and that’s where the city intends it to stay. 

 

The EPA is concerned with lead and copper presence in the water supply. The City of Willow Springs has already been conducting volunteer testing to allow the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to obtain a baseline, which detections have been very small, Hicks reported. Overall, the Ozarks are not an area of concern. Water comes out of the ground very clean here, the board of aldermen heard. 

 

DNR is requiring all cities in Missouri to conduct a lead service line inventory (LSLI) by October 16. Hicks anticipates considerable push-back from property owners who value their privacy. She wished to be explicitly clear – the City of Willow Springs will not be forcing entry into anyone’s property for the purposes of this survey. 

 

The writing is on the wall for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as well. The city has conducted voluntary testing at wells 4, 6, and 7, which showed no detection of PFAS in the water source, Hicks said. Though the EPA has not released metrics for acceptable wastewater levels but testing at the wastewater treatment plant showed “basically undetectable” levels, she said. 

 

“It’s coming out of the ground fine, but we’re not sure what will be picked up along the way,” she said. 

 

Budgeting for these regulations could be cumbersome, and Hicks is not sure what kind of grant funding is available. 

 

Mayor Pro Tem Kim Rich serves on the Small Government Advisory Committee with EPA. Rich echoed concerns about the financial burden, noting that some cities are shouldering the responsibility of testing from main to tap. 

 

“Some cities are doing it, and I don’t know how they’re managing the expense,” Rich said. “Not to make it political, but it is political. Depending on what happens in November, there could be a lot more [regulation] in the next four years.”

 

Visiting this meeting were Street Department Supervisor Shane Collins and Assistant Supervisor Tyler Clinton. They led the assembly to the parking lot for a brief presentation of the new oil distributor truck. Collins and Clinton discussed the benefits of the truck heating the oil quicker, electronic controls, larger tank, and belly strips. In addition to facilitating more working minutes in the day, it also holds double the capacity of oil. 

 

The new truck cost $282,100 and was part of the 2023 budget. 

 

Collins said he has a priority list of the streets that need work most urgently, but he is aware that most streets in town need work. Sunshine, in particular, is “terrible,” he said. However, the street department has to follow behind the work of the water and sewer departments. They cannot fix the streets where other departments must dig. 

 

In other discussion:

-The board reviewed again an ordinance governing parking. For more information, see the front page. 

-The board discussed changing meeting dates to accommodate one alderman’s schedule conflicts for the summer, but ultimately took no action. Meetings remain on the third Thursday of the month. 

-A closed session for personnel matter took place but resulted in no vote or motion. 

In other action:

-The board unanimously passed changes to the city’s personnel policy for employees.