SUNSET HILLS, Mo. — It's not every day you see a new water tower being proposed or built in your town. Most of the time, it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event.
That's why some residents of Sunset Hills want their city leaders, Missouri American Water, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to get it right.
So far, some of them feel like they've been left in the dark about the potential of a new water tower that could place a sizeable shadow over their backyards.
"We feel like the whole process really hasn't been transparent," said Sunset Hills resident Angie Weigel. "They passed a conditional use permit, or the city of Sunset Hills did, without doing what I consider their due diligence. They didn't look at the safety aspects. They didn't look at all the recommendations from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. We think these recommendations are really what should happen. This is a safety concern."
Weigel said the proposed water tower would be 60 feet from her house, where her children play and sleep at night. She's worried about the potential of a catastrophic event, like a tornado, seismic event, or a sinkhole bringing down the tower onto their homes.
She's not alone. Weigel is also part of a Facebook group that is trying to stop the construction of the tower.
Jen Carlson also lives by the proposed site and says she is very concerned about safety.
"This is Missouri American Water's first attempt in St. Louis County at building a water tower of this capacity and height," wrote Carlson in an email. "It will set a precedent for what they will attempt in other replacements in St. Louis County. We are concerned for future MAWC neighbors throughout St. Louis County."
No one is questioning the fact that the current 1930s water tower needs to be replaced, but residents say they expected a comparable water tower to be proposed. Instead, this one is much bigger and would continue to benefit homes across south county.
The new tower would be 117 feet tall, 19 feet taller than the original. It would also have six times the capacity of the original. It would sit on a 1/2 acore lot--about the size of an average residential lot. The same water utility company is building a similar capacity tower in St. Peters on three acres.
Sunset Hills residents like Carlson and Weigel said they're mostly concerned that the tower is clearly within a fall zone, meaning if there happened to be a catastrophic failure of the tower, it would likely topple on homes.
Missouri American Water spokesperson Samantha Williams told 5 On Your Side plans on building the 1.5 million-gallon water tank would serve as the control point for pressure management and pump operation in South County, similar to the existing tank it's replacing. A spokesperson wrote in an email that since the 1930s, drinking water and fire flow needs for Sunset Hills and surrounding communities have changed dramatically as the population grew. Missouri American Water said repairs on the existing tower are no longer practical and the new tank's size was determined based on the needs of the area.
It's grown to be a complicated issue within the city of Sunset Hills, too. The mayor, Pat Fribis, told 5 On Your Side the alderman later voted to not sign a zoning letter, so it's now in the hands of the Department of Natural Resources.
From January to the current day, there have been back and forth decisions to squabbles over anti-water tower signs disappearing from yards, from vocal opponents of the water tower claiming the city is targeting them for leaving their trash bins out too long. Some say it seems to have taken a personal twist.
In January, the mayor broke a tie between aldermen to give the utility a conditional use permit. In June, the board of alderman passed a motion to direct city staff to not review the permit application from Missouri American Water or their consultants. By July, the Missouri DNR received a construction permit application from Missouri American Water, and by August the DNR requested more information. A DNR spokesperson tells 5 On Your Side the application is still under review and no decision has been made.
Those who support a new water tower believe it will increase water pressure, but a report showed that at best, residents may see an increase of 4 points -- or 4psi of static pressure at most times.
"A Missouri American Water representative advised one of our city staff that if the towers are built, it might increase the pressure for some people by four points," said Cathy Friedmann, a Sunset Hills alderwoman. "I don't know that a four-point increase in water pressure is going to satisfy what most people want."
Opponents of the tower say safety is really their biggest concern.
Alderwoman Friedmann mentioned that a survey found the ground on the Sunset Hills proposed lot is limestone, which can be prone to sinkholes.
Missouri American Water said the construction is safe is consistent with other tank sites across Missouri and the US.
The thought of having a bigger and taller tower will never sit well with Weigel, though she is concerned she won't be able to move, either.
"If this is within the fall zone of my home and my neighbors' homes, I'm not sure it's a sellable home," said Weigel. "We're going to write letters to all the government entities and to the media, to make sure that this tower doesn't end up in our backyard, or anyone else's backyard."