Department of Natural Resources takes action to address failing Leadwood wastewater treatment facility
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 5, 2026 –The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is taking action to address Leadwood’s failing wastewater treatment facility. Ongoing department investigations have revealed seriously degraded and ineffective treatment equipment, allowing only partially treated wastewater to be released to the Big River.
Water tests taken in the Big River, both downstream and upstream of the facility’s output, show high levels of E. coli contamination. Further water testing will determine whether other contaminants are being released at levels of health and environmental concern.
Like infrastructure in many of Missouri’s small communities, Leadwood’s wastewater treatment facility is aging and has not been properly maintained over the years. Now, the system is not effectively removing waste from the treated water being released into the river. The department has been negotiating in good faith with the city of Leadwood since May 2026 to arrive at a long-term solution for wastewater treatment.
Due to the rapidly deteriorating situation and in response to numerous public complaints, the department has been on site for several days to thoroughly investigate and to provide technical and compliance assistance. The department is looking into ways to mitigate the immediate issue at the treatment plant and identify long-term technical and financial solutions for wastewater treatment in Leadwood.
The department has been working with Leadwood since May on an Administrative Order on Consent that would provide a framework for addressing longstanding issues with the city’s wastewater treatment facility. On Aug. 4, the city submitted the signed order to the department and that agreement is now in place. Working through that agreement will result in an engineering review and plans to upgrade the plant.
Toward the beginning of July, the city’s wastewater treatment facility began experiencing significant operational issues. The department has made more than a dozen visits to the city over the past month to assess the situation and provide compliance assistance.
While the administrative order on consent will provide a framework for a lasting solution to this issue, until that is achieved, DNR and the city are working to make some temporary repairs that would quickly improve the facility’s operation and stop the current pollution. Specifically, the department and city agreed that the following work would be done immediately. The city’s engineer has some of the facility’s wastewater aeration functioning and the city of Bismark is on site helping to clean out a plugged wastewater return line. The city of Bismarck has also agreed to take some of the city’s excess biosolids and the Missouri Rural Water Association is helping with a waste sludge management plan.
Further, the department is working to expedite the related internal permit approval process. The city’s engineer is also investigating the availability and viability of special equipment that may help the facility with more consistent wastewater aeration. The department will work with the city to ensure this work proceeds on schedule.
In the meantime, the department’s Financial Assistance Center is exploring available funding options to help the city purchase treatment equipment that will help make the facility operational until a new treatment facility can be designed and built.
“As Leadwood’s wastewater problem has become more clear, it has become an all-hands-on-deck operation to quickly address the issue,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Department of Natural Resources. “I want to thank the city of Leadwood for their cooperation, the city of Bismarck and the Missouri Rural Water Association for their great assistance and our partners at the departments of Health and Senior Services and Conservation for their support.”
DNR has initiated an intensive water sampling schedule, including tests for E-coli at upstream and downstream locations on the Big River. On Aug. 3, DNR pulled E. coli samples at the facility’s outfall to the Big River and at a point about 300 yards downstream. At that time, the results were >2,419 colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL), which is the highest our test will read. At the MDC access upstream of the Leadwood outfall, E. Coli was measured at 866 CFU/mL which is much lower than the others but still elevated. For comparison, Missouri State Parks uses an action level of 190 CFU/mL for posting “Not Recommended for Swimming” signs at state park beaches. The department pulled more samples today and will share those results when they become available.
The department is providing water quality monitoring data from the Big River to the Department of Health and Senior Services and Department of Conservation. Those departments will make public notice determinations based on our data.
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