Purchase order 24000398 for $257,409.94 was issued to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for the 2023 Missouri State Primacy Fee for the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for the Water Division of the Municipal Services Department.

Staff is providing notification to the City Council of this purchase.

In 1992, the Missouri legislature enacted the public drinking water primacy fee to support the department’s efforts to ensure Missourians have access to adequate water that is safe to drink. The primacy fee provides critical funding for laboratory services and activities the state must perform in order to maintain delegation of the federal drinking water program. Without the primacy fee, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources would lack the funding to implement critical regulations necessary for protecting public health and maintaining primacy. Regulation of Missouri’s public water systems would revert to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The primacy fee is a user fee, paid by the customers of Missouri’s public water supply systems and set by state law. The department uses the primacy fee to fund testing for drinking water contaminants, inspections, compliance activities, complaint investigations and technical assistance.

On August 21, 2023, purchase order 24000398 was issued to the state of Missouri for the Department of Natural Resources. Every water supplier in the State is required to charge this fee to consumers and remit the fee to the State annually.

There is no fiscal impact to the City. This is a pass-through fee to customers. The city pays the fee and then charges the customers a portion of the fee as reimbursement.