Comprehensive Overview of Water Quality

Water quality in Missouri is a result of a complex of natural geography and agricultural activities as well as urban and industrial activities. The state also has abundant water resources, with about 110,000 river and stream miles, such as the Missouri River and Mississippi River, and 300 or more publicly owned lakes as well as reservoirs. These water bodies are the important source of drinkable water, recreation, farming, and wildlife. In Missouri, majorities of the public water systems serve at a federal set standard of safety, as set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nonpoint source pollution by agricultural sources, stormwater runoff, and decaying infrastructure, though, has influence in most waterways. Different sources of groundwater and surface water are affected by several pressures, such as nutrient overloads, sediments, pathogens, and other contemporary pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

The Mississippi Department of Natural Resources (DNR) covers the monitoring of the statewide water quality, and the list of its impaired waters is subject to ongoing updating. Excessive nutrient levels result in algal bloom, low oxygen rates, and endangerment of aquatic life in many lakes and rivers. The concentration of nitrates in private wells is at health-based standards in some areas, especially in those that are densely agrarian and farm livestock. Cities, particularly those near St. Louis and Kansas City, also have water quality problems because of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), industrial releases, and stormwater runoffs that may contain oil, heavy metals, and other impurities.

As problems appear, Missouri has achieved a great improvement in water protection by means of regulatory frameworks, conservation programs, and the cooperation of the government and members of the population. Clean and safe water must be maintained throughout the state through continued investments, innovation, and participation in the community.

Missouri Water Quality Challenges

Missouri faces a number of water quality challenges, many of which are closely tied to the state’s diverse land use and climate. One of the primary concerns is nutrient pollution, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, stemming from fertilizer application on croplands and livestock manure management. These nutrients often enter waterways through runoff during rainfall or snowmelt, contributing to harmful algal blooms and oxygen depletion in lakes and rivers.

The state’s karst topography in the Ozark region adds complexity to water management. Karst landscapes, marked by sinkholes, caves, and underground streams, make the region’s groundwater highly vulnerable to contamination. Pollutants from surface sources can quickly infiltrate the aquifer system, making it challenging to safeguard drinking water.

Another key issue is sedimentation. Soil erosion from poorly managed agricultural fields and construction sites leads to excessive sediment in streams and rivers, which can cloud water, harm aquatic life, and reduce the capacity of reservoirs. Sediment also carries attached pollutants like phosphorus and pesticides, further degrading water quality.

In urban centers, stormwater runoff and outdated sewer systems present significant risks. Cities like St. Louis still operate with combined sewer systems that can overflow during heavy rains, discharging untreated wastewater into nearby rivers. These events lead to high levels of pathogens, bacteria like E. coli, and other pollutants in surface waters, posing public health risks.

Additionally, Missouri faces challenges from emerging contaminants such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. These substances are not yet fully regulated and are difficult to remove with traditional treatment methods. Their long-term impact on water quality and human health is still being researched.

Private well safety is another ongoing concern. Many rural Missourians rely on private wells that are not regularly tested or treated. Studies have shown that some of these wells exceed acceptable levels for nitrates, bacteria, and heavy metals, posing risks to human health.

State and Local Efforts to Improve Water Quality

To deal with the problem of its water quality, Missouri has introduced a large number of different programs and projects. These activities are managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), and many local and regional partners.

The Missouri Nonpoint Source Management Program is a major program that is supported financially through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. This program promotes voluntary activities of farmers, municipalities, and landowners to take best management practices (BMPs) to minimize nutrient runoff, check erosion, and reconstruct degraded watersheds. The practices involve cover crops, constructed wetlands, rotational grazing, and buffer strips.

The Missouri Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy is another significant statewide plan, which presents science-packed objectives and action measures towards the elimination of nitrogen and nonpoint phosphorus pollution in the state. The approach fosters the cooperation between the agricultural producers, researchers, and conservation organizations to ensure sustainability of land use and nutrient management.

On the municipal level, such cities as Kansas City and St. Louis are financing the green infrastructure initiatives that help to better control the stormwater. These are rain gardens, permeable pavements, rooftop gardens, and bioswales that help decrease runoff and increase the amount of infiltration. The St. Project Clear is a key project Utah Louis had to cope with combined overflows using not only the process of upgrading the infrastructure but also engaging the community.

Missouri is also a member of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, which is a body formed by the basin states so as to come up with ways of decreasing nutrient loads that cause what is known as the Dead Zone in the Gulf. Targeted education programs and protection programs in any of the popular recreational lakes, like the Lake of the Ozarks, are meant to minimizeerosion, leakage in septic systems, and runoff of pollutants.

Soil and water conservation districts and local watershed organizations are in the forefront in realizing water quality projects regionally. These organizations usually spearhead the streambank stabilization practices, encourage the education of landowners, and observethe water quality in the local context.

At the state level, grants and cost-share initiatives on infrastructure improvement, agriculture BMP investment, and improvement of drinking water systems, especially in the underserved or rural locations, are also financed.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Quality

The most apparent impact of climate change in this state will be on the water quality in Missouri, which is already experiencing effects. Among the major outcomes is the rising frequency and severity of intense rainfall events. During these severe storms, more volume of surface runoff occurs, which may overwhelm the drainage systems, transport pollutants into water bodies including rivers and lakes, and cause soil erosion of agricultural lands.

The occurrence of more rainfall, and more of it, and severe too, increases the possibility of flash flooding, especially in places with cities with masses of impassable land. In such floods, combined sewer systems are likely to overflow after contaminating the sewage system with untreated sewage, which directly threatens the local population via local waterways.

On the other hand, the state of Missouri is also recording times of drought, especially in late summer and early fall. Due to less water flowing in the drought situation, there may be an increased level of pollutants in the smaller water bodies in the form of vaccines, heavy metals, etc. Warmer weather may also be found in lakes and reservoirs due to lower water levels, which would further stimulate harmful algal blooms and further depress oxygen levels that are needed by aquatic organisms.

Warming caused by climate change also prolongs algae and bacteria growing seasons, thus worsening and extending the period of harmful algal blooms in recreational and drinking water. Such flowers have the capability of blooming as toxins to human and animal lives, and they usually cost a lot of money to be removed out of the publicly shared water pools.

The alteration of precipitation and recharge patterns is likely to increase the vulnerability of groundwater in Missouri, in particular, in karst areas. When storm water or agricultural runoff flows to the aquifers at faster rates, they seem to evade the natural process of filtration, and they are much more likely to be contaminated.

In order to meet these challenges, Missouri is starting to incorporate climate-adaptation policies in its water planning. This comprises enhancing the resilience of watersheds andmaking investments in climate-smart water infrastructure through further planning and development of real-time water quality monitoring infrastructure. Keeping soil healthy, regenerative farming, and enhancing the level of vegetative cover are also major climate change mitigation strategies that would also benefit the quality of water.