Consumers Council of Missouri was proud to participate in a meaningful and well-attended Communities First STL meeting in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Communities First serves as one of our advisory groups and plays an important role in guiding our community engagement and advocacy work across St. Louis.

The meeting was facilitated by Antonio Weston, Community Engagement Coordinator and Social Media Lead for Consumers Council of Missouri. Spencer Gould, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, along with the billing manager and representatives from St. Louis City Water, joined residents to share updates on the city’s water assistance program, lead service line inventory, and available payment plan options through the Collector of Revenue’s Office.

More than 30 residents took part in an open and energetic conversation. Community members raised thoughtful questions about water service and affordability, and Spencer Gould provided clear, detailed responses. Additional perspectives and support were offered by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge and John Coffman, Legal Counsel for Consumers Council of Missouri.

This meeting reflects CCM’s commitment to showing up for communities and ensuring residents have access to accurate information, meaningful dialogue, and opportunities to shape the policies that affect their daily lives.

Consumers Council of Missouri will continue working to level the playing field for all Missouri consumers.

St. Louis City Water Assistance Application: https://shorturl.at/pKUdF

Photos from the event:

In June 2024, Consumers Council of Missouri launched a three-year initiative (2024–2027) funded by Missouri Foundation for Health to assess water affordability in the City of St. Louis.

Unlike many cities across the country, St. Louis does not use individual water meters for most households. Instead, residents are billed a flat rate based on the physical attributes of their homes, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and the frontage of their lot. This approach often results in water bills that do not reflect actual usage. It also impacts sewer bills, since the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) applies the same flat-rate formula to determine sewer charges in the absence of metered water use.

Consumers Council is working with water affordability experts to analyze data obtained from the City of St. Louis and develop community-driven solutions for residents struggling to pay their water and sewer bills. At the same time, we are engaging directly with community advisory groups to both share information about water costs and hear firsthand about the challenges households face.

Our community advisory groups include Hyde Park, Lewis Place–Fountain Park, and Southside Wellness. We have also met with neighborhood associations and advocacy partners such as Vandeventer II, Missouri Coalition of the Environment, Kingsville Corp., and others who share a commitment to making water more affordable and accessible.

Funding through the grant allowed Consumers Council to add a Community Engagement and Social Media Coordinator, Antonio Weston, who is leading on-the-ground engagement and helping ensure that resident voices shape this work.

Through this initiative, Consumers Council is building the foundation for policies that ensure water affordability, fairness, and sustainability for St. Louis City residents.