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Politics & Government

Governor Lauds Wentzville's Water Treatment Facility Expansion

In addition to appearing at the facility's ceremony, Gov. Jay Nixon addresses the potential federal government shutdown.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon arrived in Wentzville today to congratulate officials for expanding the city's wastewater treatment facility.

While in Wentzville, Nixon also addressed the impending federal government shutdown.

"We've been watching carefully," Governor Jay Nixon told a Wentzville Patch reporter after a Friday afternoon press conference at the city's Water Reclamation Center. "Our hope is that they can get an arrangement worked out."

Missouri has a two-week contingency plan in place in the event of a federal shutdown.

"We're well prepared and have a plan to keep the services that Missouri citizens need," Nixon said.

The shutdown would only begin to affect Missouri after two weeks pass, Nixon said. At that point, public services funded in part by federal monies, such as law enforcement and mental health facilities, may be affected.

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But Nixon's main focus was Wentzville and plans for expanding its Water Reclamation Center.

The governor and Department of Natural Resources Director Sara Parker Pauley awarded the Water Reclamation Center $21.4 million Friday afternoon. The award combines a $20.6 million, low interest, state-revolving fund loan to expand the center with a $750,000 Clean Water Act grant to improve water quality and create infrastructure at Heartland Park.

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Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi, board of aldermen and chamber of commerce members greeted the governor upon his convoy’s arrival just before 12:30 p.m.

The treatment facility expansion is a response to Wentzville’s growing population, which over the last decade.

“While many parts of Missouri have undergone rapid growth over the last 20 years, almost no area has grown as much as Wentzville and St. Charles County,” Nixon said. “Mayor, you must be doing something right.”

Using low-interest loans from the state allows the city to save taxpayers about $5.2 million in interest, the mayor's office said in a statement.

Lambi thanked Wentzville voters for passing the bond issue to make the facility expansion possible.

Nixon expects beefing up the city’s infrastructure will encourage continued growth in the community.

"This is how you win in this economy," Nixon said. "These projects are of vital importance."

The Water Reclamation Center operates at 65 percent of its capacity, Water and Wastewater Superintendent Gary Miller said. The treatment capacity stands at 5.1-million gallons a day, but the expansion will allow for an increase of an additional million gallons a day.

"After this expansion, with the current rate of growth, we'll be good until 2018," Miller said. "To stay ahead of the growth, you have to expand ahead of time."

Built in 1977, the facility most recently expanded its capacity in 2007, Miller said. The project is scheduled to start in June, and construction is expected to take 18 months.

Based on construction bids, City Administrator Dianna Wright expects Wentzville will only end up using $15.4 million of the 20-year bond, saving another $5.2 million. Wright said the bid awaits the Department of Natural Resources' approval.

Nixon and Lambi touted the project from an employment standpoint. The officials believe the expansion will create 100 jobs over the course of construction.

"This is a perfect example of how goals of environmental protection and economic development work together for the benefit of both the environment and the economy," Pauley said in a news release. "Rather than being opposing forces, they complement each other in a way that will have positive outcomes for years."

Carol Quinn, the chamber of commerce treasurer, praised the city's successful efforts to obtain grants and low-interest loans from the state.

"I think our city's doing a good job. Saving money is good," Quinn said. "With the growth of the city, we've got a lot of families and new businesses coming in."

Wentzville will match the $750,000 state grant as part of the Clear Stormwater and Green Parks Project. The project addresses a stormwater pollution problem in the Dry Branch watershed north of Interstate 70, which drains into McCoy Creek and Cuivre River.

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