St. Louis Sees Water As A Money Maker

Can water become an economic engine for St. Louis?

Economic development says yes, noting that the city has more water than it needs while much of the West languishes in drought conditions.

"Unlike cities that have developed in more arid environments, St. Louis is historically sustainable. With easy access to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, water quantity is usually not an issue," the city says on its website.

Officials "see an opportunity in targeting industries that depend heavily on water, such as food processors and data centers — especially those located in water-stressed regions," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

As St. Louis water commissioner Curt Skouby put it, water can be an “an economic driver” for the area. “For people looking for reliable water, St. Louis should be a destination,” Skouby said, per the report.

Steve Johnson, executive vice president of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, suggested it is a worthy avenue to consider. “It is something we are exploring,” he said, per the report.

The report continued, "Johnson said the chamber is trying to figure out what the growing scarcity of fresh water means for St. Louis 'as the whole western half of the U.S. continues to be in a prolonged drought and they deplete their aquifers.'"

St. Louis water utilities have the capacity to increase the amount of water they treat.

"Average daily demand for water from the St. Louis Water Department and Missouri American Water in St. Louis County is about 300 million gallons. Together, the two water systems have the capacity to produce more than twice that, about 760 million gallons a day," the report said.

The utilities say they are actively working to improve local infrastructure. For instance, Missouri American Water "set a new record in water main replacement in 2014 -- completing approximately 200 projects across St. Louis County," the company said in a release.

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