St. Louis advances $13m L51 forcemain replacement to meet consent decree targets

St. Louis advances $13m L51 forcemain replacement to meet consent decree targetsThe Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District has introduced supplemental funding for a major 36-inch forcemain replacement, while simultaneously approving a slate of multi-million-dollar sewer relief and CSO elimination contracts in its latest capital push.

The MSD Board introduced an $8.3 million supplemental appropriation for the L51 Pump Station Forcemain, finalizing the project's $13 million budget.

Kelpe Contracting will construct over 8,300 linear feet of parallel 36-inch forcemain to prevent the failure of aging infrastructure.

The board also approved a $7.5 million supplemental appropriation for the Brentwood and Red Bud Ave CSO elimination project.

A $5.6 million contract was awarded to Corrigan Company for SCADA and telemetry upgrades at the Bissell pump station.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Board of Trustees has moved to finalize funding for a critical consent decree-driven infrastructure project, introducing an $8.3 million supplemental appropriation for the L51 Pump Station Forcemain Improvements during its June 11, 2026, meeting. The supplemental funding brings the total appropriation for the project to $13 million, drawing from the district's Sanitary Replacement Fund via bond proceeds. The Program Management Committee highlighted the project as a key component of the fiscal year 2027 Capital Improvement Program budget. The project, awarded to Kelpe Contracting, Inc., involves the construction of approximately 8,306 linear feet of 36-inch forcemain running from the Master Lift #1 (L51) Pump Station to the Missouri River Wastewater Treatment Facility. According to district staff reports, the new installation will run parallel to the existing forcemain, which is nearing the end of its useful life and poses a failure risk. The parallel alignment will allow the district to either abandon or rehabilitate the legacy pipeline in the future while fulfilling its federal consent decree obligations. The L51 forcemain advancement was accompanied by a wave of significant capital project approvals passed unanimously via the board's consent agenda, underscoring MSD's heavy ongoing investment in sanitary relief and combined sewer overflow (CSO) mitigation. Among the largest approvals was a $7.5 million supplemental appropriation awarded to Fred M. Luth & Sons, Inc. for the Brentwood and Red Bud Ave CSO Interceptor and Outfall Elimination project. The board also approved a $4.4 million sanitary sewer construction appropriation for the Two Mile Creek Outfall Sanitary Relief project, awarded to Bates Utility Company, Inc., and a $2.4 million appropriation for the Upper Mattese Trunk Sanitary Relief project. In addition to pipeline work, the district is investing in facility modernization, awarding a $5.6 million contract to Corrigan Company for SCADA, programmable logic controller (PLC), and telemetry upgrades at the Bissell pump station. These capital authorizations coincide with the board's formal approval of the district's FY 2027 budget appropriations, which amount to an aggregate $443 million to cover current expenses, debt service, capital improvements, and the operation and maintenance of the district's extensive wastewater and stormwater networks.