Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Governance
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) is the public agency responsible for wastewater and stormwater management across the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri. This page explains MSD's legal structure, how its governance operates in practice, the scenarios where its authority is most consequential, and where its jurisdiction ends and other bodies begin. Because MSD operates as a bi-jurisdictional special district — spanning a city and a county that have been legally separate since 1876 — its governance model is among the more structurally distinctive in Missouri public administration. For broader context on how MSD fits within regional infrastructure governance, see the St. Louis Metropolitan Area Governance overview available on this site.
Definition and scope
MSD was created in 1954 by a vote of the residents of both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, operating under a charter granted by the Missouri Constitution, Article VI, Section 30(a). That constitutional provision authorizes the formation of "special districts" to provide services that cross municipal or county lines — making MSD one of Missouri's earliest and most prominent examples of a constitutionally created bi-jurisdictional utility district.
The district's geographic coverage spans approximately 525 square miles (MSD Project Clear), encompassing the entire City of St. Louis (61.9 square miles) and the vast majority of incorporated and unincorporated St. Louis County. MSD serves roughly 1.4 million people and manages more than 9,500 miles of sewer infrastructure.
Scope limitations: MSD's authority does not extend to portions of St. Louis County that maintain independent sewer systems through municipal utility agreements, nor does it cover any jurisdiction in Illinois. The Metro East communities of Madison County and St. Clair County, Illinois — which are part of the broader St. Louis metropolitan statistical area — fall entirely outside MSD's coverage and are governed by separate Illinois-chartered water reclamation districts. The St. Louis Illinois Metro Counties page addresses governance on the Illinois side of the region.
MSD does not govern drinking water supply. That function within the City of St. Louis is handled by the St. Louis Water Division, a separate municipal utility. The two agencies share no governance structure, though capital projects occasionally require coordination at points where water and sewer infrastructure intersect.
How it works
MSD is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees. Under the district's Plan of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (the governing charter document), trustees are appointed — not elected — with 3 trustees appointed by the Mayor of the City of St. Louis and 3 appointed by the St. Louis County Executive. Each trustee serves a staggered four-year term, and the board selects its own chair annually.
The board exercises authority over:
- Rate setting — establishing wastewater and stormwater user charges, which are billed to property owners and tenants across the service area
- Capital program approval — authorizing the multi-year capital improvement program, currently structured around the federally mandated consent decree program known as Project Clear
- Budget adoption — approving the annual operating budget, which exceeded $500 million in fiscal year 2023 (MSD Annual Report)
- Policy governance — setting rules for sewer connections, industrial pretreatment, and stormwater management standards
- Executive oversight — hiring and evaluating the Executive Director, who manages day-to-day operations
MSD's rate-setting authority is subject to voter approval for increases above defined thresholds. Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 204 governs special sewer district authority, and any major rate increase must be submitted to voters in both the City and County constituencies.
The district operates under a federally enforceable consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), entered in 2012 and subsequently modified. That consent decree — formally titled the Consent Decree in United States v. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District — requires MSD to invest approximately $4.7 billion over a 23-year period to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) (EPA Enforcement Case Detail).
Common scenarios
Combined sewer overflow events: In older portions of the city and inner-ring county areas, stormwater and sanitary sewage share the same pipe network. During heavy rainfall events, this combined flow can exceed system capacity, discharging untreated sewage into waterways such as the River Des Peres and Maline Creek. MSD's Project Clear capital program is specifically designed to separate these systems and eliminate overflow points.
New development sewer connections: Any new construction or major renovation requiring a sewer connection within MSD's service area must obtain an MSD connection permit. This is distinct from a building permit issued by a municipal or county building department. Projects in unincorporated St. Louis County may need to coordinate MSD permitting with St. Louis County Departments for concurrent zoning and grading approvals.
Stormwater complaints and drainage disputes: Property owners experiencing flooding or improper drainage can file a complaint with MSD's stormwater program. MSD has authority over public stormwater infrastructure but does not have jurisdiction over private on-site drainage systems, which remain the property owner's responsibility.
Industrial pretreatment compliance: Facilities discharging industrial wastewater into the MSD system must meet federal pretreatment standards under 40 CFR Part 403 (EPA Pretreatment Regulations) and MSD's local limits. Non-compliance can result in enforcement actions coordinated between MSD and EPA Region 7.
Decision boundaries
Understanding where MSD's authority ends — and where other entities begin — is essential for residents, developers, and regulators navigating the St. Louis governance landscape.
| Decision Type | MSD Authority | Outside MSD Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Public sewer mains and trunk lines | Yes — MSD owns and maintains | No |
| Private lateral lines from building to main | Limited — MSD regulates connection point | Property owner's responsibility |
| Drinking water supply and treatment | No | St. Louis Water Division (city); Missouri American Water (county areas) |
| Stormwater on private property | No | Property owner or municipality |
| Building permits for structures near sewers | No | City of St. Louis or St. Louis County building departments |
| Illinois-side wastewater | No | Madison County, IL or St. Clair County, IL districts |
MSD's consent decree compliance is federally overseen by EPA Region 7 and the U.S. Department of Justice, meaning that federal courts — specifically the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri — hold ultimate enforcement jurisdiction over the district's long-term infrastructure commitments. This places MSD in a category distinct from purely state-regulated utilities.
Rate changes that fall within the voter-approval threshold are governed at the board level, but Proposition S (passed by voters in 2019) authorized specific stormwater charges and established a structured review process for future adjustments. Rate-related grievances from property owners are typically reviewed through MSD's customer service process before escalating to formal administrative review.
MSD does not operate the Metropolitan St. Louis region's transit, port, or planning functions. Those responsibilities belong to separate regional bodies including Bi-State Development, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, and the St. Louis Port Authority — each with independent governance structures and enabling legislation.
References
- Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District — About MSD / Project Clear
- MSD Annual Reports
- Missouri Constitution, Article VI, Section 30(a) — Special District Authority
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 204 — Sewer Districts
- U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO)
- U.S. EPA Pretreatment Regulations, 40 CFR Part 403
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources — Water Protection Program
- U.S. EPA Region 7 — Kansas City Office