ST. CHARLES, Mo. – St. Charles City officials are urging residents to voice concerns about the threat of contamination to the city’s water system.
A public meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 17 at Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park. The EPA will be joined by several state agencies.
St. Charles officials have expressed outrage over the findings of harmful chemicals in soil and groundwater. They said the city’s drinking water is safe, but it has shut down four of its water wells and is purchasing water from the City of St. Louis to meet demand.
Residents were invited to a city presentation on Wednesday. St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer called on residents to attend Thursday’s meeting and voice any concerns. He and other city leaders said a consent decree between Ameren Missouri and the EPA does not go far enough.
“Ultimately, we want our well field relocated in an area free of contamination, and the cost of that would be about $40 million,” said Nick Galla, St. Charles City public works director.
St. Charles City officials want the EPA to direct Ameren Missouri to pay the costs associated with remedying the situation. They said the contamination is the result of chemicals used to clean a power plant decades ago.
An Ameren spokesperson said the agency supports additional EPA-led testing and analysis. They had implemented an aggressive groundwater treatment process at its substation and surrounding properties.