HS HCS HB 1433 -- WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS

This bill creates the Upper White River Basin Watershed
Improvement District, an area that includes Greene, Stone,
Christian, Taney, Barry, Douglas, Webster, Wright, and Ozark
counties.  Table Rock Lake, the James River, the White River,
Lake Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals Lake are located in the proposed
district.  Upon resolution by the governing body of any county of
the third classification or by the filing of a petition signed by
at least 35% of the property owners in any county of the third
classification located within any other watershed in the state, a
watershed improvement district may be authorized.  A district is
authorized to own, install, operate, and maintain decentralized
or individual on-site wastewater treatment plants.

A watershed improvement district will have the power to borrow
money, incur indebtedness, and submit to the qualified voters
within the district a request to collect real property taxes to
help fund the operation of the district.

The county commission of any county located within the Upper
White River Basin Watershed Improvement District can authorize
individual properties to be served by the district by adopting a
resolution or upon the filing of a petition signed by at least
20% of the property owners of the proposed area.

Property that is currently served by a sewer district cannot be a
part of the watershed improvement district unless the existing
sewer district agrees to stop providing service to the property.
The watershed improvement district will not provide service
unless the property owner wants the service.

On-site wastewater treatment systems installed on property that
participates in the district must meet the standards established
by the district board and the appropriate state agencies.

Participating property owners must have a maintenance plan
approved by the district for the on-site wastewater treatment
system on their property, and they must execute a utilities
easement to allow the district access to the system for
maintenance and inspection.

The county, by order or ordinance or upon the filing of a
petition signed by 20% of the property owners in the proposed
area, may designate groundwater depletion areas and may require
well volume monitoring.

After a watershed subdistrict has been organized and the
organization tax has been levied, any county in the subdistrict
not adopting the annual tax may detach from the subdistrict upon
approval of a majority of the qualified voters voting on the
proposed detachment.

A watershed improvement district will have a board of trustees.
The bill specifies the number of trustees, the length of term
each trustee will serve, and the manner in which successive
trustees will be chosen.

Any person or laboratory performing a wastewater analysis will be
licensed by the Department of Natural Resources, and any person
installing on-site sewage disposal systems will be licensed by
the Department of Health and Senior Services.

The commission; a member of a watershed district's board of
trustees created under Section 249.1150 or 249.1152, RSMo; or the
Director of the Department of Natural Resources can request
action be taken against anyone for unlawful discharge of water
contaminants.

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:15 am