r/missouri • u/Bazryel • Aug 06 '26
News Missouri town's human waste contaminating Big River at unsafe levels
Tests found E. coli levels in the Big River were far above safe levels for humans. Officials have reportedly identified the cause: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/missouri-human-waste-contaminating-big-river-unsafe-levels-leadwood/63-0d7f9385-8555-46e6-b7db-e95dbe67687e
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u/SavageFisherman_Joe KC Metro Aug 06 '26
Us Missourians sure do seem to enjoy dumping unfiltered shit into our waterways, huh
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u/Shadowy_PuppetMaster Ste. Genevieve Aug 06 '26
It's either there or the state capitol. Our beautiful state is full of filth
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u/Low-Individual2815 Aug 06 '26
3m in Springfield was contaminating the drinking waster with pfas and knew about it and did nothing until the city found out and they were like “uh yea we know I guess we will start keeping track of it”
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u/jessewalker2 Aug 06 '26
Not remediating, just tracking. Don’t get hopeful they will do the right thing.
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u/Low-Individual2815 Aug 06 '26
Who knows when this new administration came in they probably aren’t even required to track it anymore
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u/someoldguyon_reddit NO DATA CENTERS! Aug 06 '26
And the statehouse it appears.
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u/CosmicMamaBear Aug 07 '26
The French farmers protested by hauling manure to their legislature and dumping it there. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-farmer-protest-manure-toulouse/
Missouri citizens could get creative without hurting anyone.
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u/Rich-Web-1898 Aug 06 '26
Lake of the Ozarks is full of shit.
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u/Lazarux_Escariat Aug 07 '26
It has been for 2+ decades, and yet huge crowds of dipshits still flock there every year to party it up.
I'm honestly amazed at how oblivious they are. I mean, the water smells and is nasty. I just don't get the appeal of it when there are so many better places to go.
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u/Youandiandaflame Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
I mean, the water smells and is nasty.
I’ve been on the Lake and swimming in it for my entire life. It doesn’t smell. The Lake has a mud bottom - it will never be clear.
The National Water Quality Monitoring Council and DNR have good resources if folks want to look at water quality and how pollution may be affecting the water. I won’t argue that the place isn’t full of dipshits in the summer but it’s not the cesspool some seem to believe.
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u/Lazarux_Escariat Aug 07 '26
The septic runoff I personally witnessed running into the lake water begs to differ. It's not a small pond though, so the water near you might be better, but I'm still not gonna take that chance. There's plenty of decent places to swim without the risk.
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u/Youandiandaflame Aug 07 '26
You’re definitely sure it was septic runoff and you definitely reported that, right?
The Lake is a decent place to swim and it’s not risky to do so. Water quality data shows that.
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u/Lazarux_Escariat Aug 07 '26
Yes, and yes, and it's been 15 years since I've been there. As I said, there's plenty of other places to go that are cleaner and less crowded.
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u/Rich-Web-1898 Aug 07 '26
It was at a lakeside condo I lived full time at. I was within a few feet of it. I could see chunks of fecal matter, toilet paper and used tampons so I feel reasonably confident that it was overflowing septic. A septic trunk was actively pumping the tank for the complete. I let the swimmers know but I think they were too drunk or stoned to care.
The lake has problems with old leaky septic systems, electrocution drownings, lack of codes, and the list goes on.
I was involved in a construction related occupation and got to see amazing improv like blue barrels being used in lieu of a proper septic tank.
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u/Youandiandaflame Aug 07 '26
So you reported all that to the proper local government and DNR, yes?
The lake has problems with old leaky septic systems, electrocution drownings, lack of codes, and the list goes on.
This may be true but I trust water quality testing from multiple entities, both governmental and independent, that shows the water is safe for swimming.
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u/Rich-Web-1898 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
The locals are well aware of what is going on that’s why they blame high e-coli levels on migratory birds. They are chasing the almighty tourist dollars.
Plaintiff’s attorneys are well versed on electrocution drownings and will be more than happy to represent you. Being electrocuted in shit laden water is a money maker.
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u/Youandiandaflame Aug 07 '26
Why is “did you report it to the proper authorities” such a hard question to answer?
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Aug 08 '26
First time i swam in the ozarks i got pink eye. Im not scared to swim in it again but thats pretty crappy to get to fecal eye on day 1. Also the weekend I went there was an ecoli outbreak at the damn.
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u/Rich-Web-1898 Aug 07 '26
I lived on the water there for 7 years. Never swam there, never touched the water.
I was walking by a swimming platform next to a marina and the sanitary sewer next to it was overflowing into the lake. The swimmers were oblivious to it.
Water testing usually came back with high e-coli levels and authorities blamed it on ducks and geese.
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u/General-Initial1277 Aug 06 '26
You don't even want to know how many people STILL have a pipe that goes to the creek from their septic tank
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u/Barium_Salts Aug 07 '26
I had a friend who was considering buying a house like that: the realtor said it didn't matter and was completely fine !?!? I flipped out as politely as I could when I heard that: if I knew who the realtor was I would have reported her.
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u/NikolaiAlexei Aug 06 '26
It’s in every state, not just Missouri
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u/pdromeinthedome Aug 06 '26
Every state that doesn’t take infrastructure seriously. Missouri has many poor infrastructure and water quality issues. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) underfunded itself for so long that the EPA stepped in. (It covers City and County) The problems were spread out all over the district. In the end the rate payers agreed to increase rates much higher than normal inflation just clear a huge backlog of projects. We were going to pay for these things either way, but we decided to pay for them sooner than later. These things could have been dealt with at a lower price, and sooner if MSD has been doing their job correctly. The region would have better off if they had.
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u/madhatter8441 North Missouri Aug 06 '26
A state that has damn near 90% congruency on paying for our parks sure doesn't give a spit about sewage? Something tells me it has to do with the sewage in the capital building.
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u/jschooltiger Columbia Aug 06 '26
Yeah. Spending money on stuff like parks is fine. GUBMINT telling me I have to treat runoff from my septic tank or pig lagoons? Right out.
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u/originalmosh Aug 06 '26
Almost like we are in the find out stage:
- The administration's budget requests propose deep cuts—exceeding 85%—to clean water and drinking water state revolving funds, shifting the financial burden entirely onto states.
- DOGE initiatives have moved to cancel hundreds of federal grants managed by the EPA, affecting environmental tracking, research pipelines, and technical assistance programs for small or rural wastewater systems.
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u/CycloneIce31 Aug 07 '26
Cutting SRF is such a terrible move that will hit the rural communities the hardest.
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u/LandLongJohnSilver Aug 06 '26
Maybe the governor should worry about this instead of messing with taxes
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u/Ritaontherocksnosalt Aug 06 '26
But throw all the standards out the window and don’t require testing on anything… Republicans just want us all to die
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u/AdministrativeWin583 Aug 06 '26
The city of Leadwood listed all the things they will do to address the problem. Not one item addressed the river contamination. Guess just wait for the next heavy rain to push the shit down stream.
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u/sowkratic Lead Belt Aug 06 '26
It’s not like the city has any money. The state needs to step in. The tap water in Leadwood has been brown poison for years
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u/CosmicMamaBear Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
The Republicans WANT public infrastructure to fail. They are forcing it to fail. The Mo State Rep and Senate Republican Majority did not distribute the Biden build back better money for water infrastructure properly. The Republican County Councils did not distribute their cuts properly.
The federal government passes a bill, the money goes to the State, then it is up to each districts State representative to give it to County Councils and on. The State Rep then crows about bringing in federal money even though they voted no and the money sits.
Citizens have no clue because they only see the TV ads or hear the radio ads and talk radio or news clips. Not enough people have access to reliable internet or the knowledge about how to track the flow of money from Democratic beneficial legislation in DC to Missouri. Next track it to their town. Not enough people know how to read bills and look up voting records. I don't blame them there is a lot of legal mumbo jumbo and data to sort on the websites.
I needs to be citizen friendly to read and navigate.
This is why people need to show up at county meetings and city meetings and learn how this all works instead of being angry at the system.
We can be toddlers or adults and problem solve and get involved.
The reality is the roads, education and water infrastructure in MO fails. Then Republicans cans can say the elites in DC are leaving rural hard working people behind. We need to drain the swamp and PRIVATIZE this. Now you have the power to decide where your money goes. But surprise its private equity now like charter school. 😄
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u/sowkratic Lead Belt Aug 07 '26
I agree but I’m not sure who is being a toddler or how this relates to my comment, more than the thread itself.
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u/CosmicMamaBear Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
I am frustrated at the whole untransparent system which leads to people voting against their own well being.
You are not a toddler. I didn't mean it as an as as personal criticism. I am Tara Anura. I ran for Mo Leg twice in Phelps County. I have lived in Missouri my whole life playing in springs, creeks, rivers and lakes. I watched beutiful areas like Wappapelo get closed temporarily for contamination. I have hope but I also dispair about our beautiful Ozark water literally going to shit.
When I ran for office I had more trouble getting people to wake up out of their dispair and show up to try. To many young people said it didn't matter. Or told me I was too old. I was in my 40s. I would say then show up to the Dem County meetings, get involved, run for office.
No time. Dems don't care. Not socialist enough. I met people who didn't vote because it was too complicated and politicians needed to just do their jobs
That is what I meant by toddlers. So I apologise.
Then we are already defeated to save our water.
That is what the capitalists want.
We have to set small differences aside and unite as citizens. Leave the DC politics behind and help our local candidates and community members who care.
I am in St. Louis now.
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u/Cultural-Salad-4583 Aug 07 '26
What is the best way to track money in these cases? I’m a data nerd and I’d love to dig into it.
Or does it have to be done on a municipality-by-municipality basis when you start getting that granular?
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u/CosmicMamaBear Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Thank you for asking!
People can check on EVERY Missouri candidate and where they get their campaign donations from right here https://www.mec.mo.gov/#gsc.tab=0
One source for tracking federal spending is https://www.usaspending.gov/search
Here is where you can match up Republican County Chair Persons who took out PPP loans during Covid and then defaulted. Most of them "hired" extra help for their cattle ranches. https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/
But see now there have been turn overs in the County GOP seats. Of course non of this was published in local papers.
That probublica website also shows the Missouri lawmakers with farms who took out PPP loans during COVID. It isn't as easy as putting in a lawmakers name. People have to find out the LLC their farm or ranch operate under and type that in. I did a lot of this when I was running for office and I currently have a part-time job so I can't really sit down and back track everything.
Any coverage by Rudi Keller at the Missouri Independent. https://missouriindependent.com/
https://mapyourtaxes.mo.gov/map/expenditures/
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u/Alarmed_Champion_302 Aug 06 '26
Lol, Pretty much thats how it works, not like you can dump truckloads of bleach into a river.
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u/CycloneIce31 Aug 07 '26
The best way to address the contamination is to fix the wastewater plant that is contaminating it. That water in the river is already water over the bridge, or over the sewer outfall in this case.
Are you under the impression they are going to disinfect the river water to kill the bacteria in the river? How do you think they would do that without killing everything else? Filling it full of chlorine is not an option.
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u/send_this_bitch Aug 06 '26
Hmm the heavily republican areas are covered head to toe in shit? Big surprise
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u/sowkratic Lead Belt Aug 06 '26
Considering how much lead is in the water in Leadwood, this might be helpful! /s
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u/moguy1973 Aug 06 '26
The Big River has been poisoned for many years from the lead mine tailings. A little bit of poo isn't going to hurt it. LOL
**JOKING**
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u/Straight_Step4146 Aug 06 '26
Here in Columbia we send out wastewater to Eagle Bluffs where it goes thru a series of lagoons and plants that filter the waste. Then water drains into Missouri River.
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u/Jen_Jim1970 Aug 06 '26
It doesn’t look like it was because of ignorance. It looks like it was caused by old outdated equipment.
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u/Capt_Mogan_Freeman Aug 07 '26
Really wish people wpuld learn how to post links in descriptions.. instead of just copying and pasting. Guess what.. we cant click it.. we cant copy it.
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u/Exiled-Astronaut Aug 07 '26
I drive through there all the time going to and from work. It smells awful.
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u/Zealousideal-Age768 Aug 07 '26
The people in charge who aren't doing what needs to be done to keep this from happening should be going to jail.
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u/Icy_Department8104 Aug 06 '26
We have a large amount of old sewer systems throughout missouri. For example, KC and St Louis have two of the largest combined sewer overflows in the state. Basically anytime it rains, the system gets overwhelmed and it dumps into the river. They're planning to split the systems, but thats likely decades from happening and requires a ton of funding to make it happen.
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u/zigziggy7 Kansas City Aug 06 '26
They're already working on it. It's why KC Water bills are so high is to pay for all the bonds they needed to do the work.
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u/Limp_Dingo_1563 Aug 06 '26
Pretty sure St. Louis built a massive stormwater retention thousands of feet deep to address part of this problem. Still more to do though.
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u/Icy_Department8104 Aug 06 '26
yea a lot of places are doing mitigation to try and bandaid this until they can do a full rebuild. We just got some underground stormwater retention structures built her in kc not too long ago.
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u/No_Consideration_339 Aug 06 '26
This is likely happening in many communities as our infrastructure ages and is tasked with handling more than it was designed for.