St. Louis Extends Tornado-Related Water Bill Relief Enrollment Through Dec. 23
The city extended enrollment in its Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program after more than 1,200 households applied, including 600 with past-due water balances.
ST. LOUIS - Over 1,200 tornado impacted households have applied and 14% percent of households with past due balances have been reached. The deadline is being extended so that every eligible resident has a path to help.
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ST. LOUIS — Mayor Cara Spencer and Director of Public Utilities Niraj Patel, P.E., in partnership with Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery Officer, announced today that enrollment in the Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program will remain open through December 23, 2026. The previous deadline was October 31.
Since enrollment opened on August 25, over 1,200 households have applied for the program. 600 of those households carry a past due water balance, which is 14 percent of the 4,164 accounts that were delinquent when the program launched.
Those 4,164 accounts represented roughly $4.34 million in outstanding water debt across tornado-impacted neighborhoods. Nearly 1,900 of them owed $500 or less, while approximately 720 households owed more than $2,000. The extension is intended to reach the households that have not yet come forward.
"This program is working, and it is not finished," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "There are still families in these neighborhoods who qualify for this help and have not yet claimed it. Recovery costs households both time and money, and we want to ensure the families impacted by the tornado can pay their full water bill for the next two years. We are keeping the door open so that everyone who needs this help has a real chance to get it."
The program was developed by the Water Division in collaboration with the STL Recovery Office, and is made possible by Board Bill 25 (Ordinance 72155), sponsored by Alderman Browning and passed by the Board of Aldermen.
What Remains Available
All elements of the program continue through the extended deadline.
50% Affordability Rate: Residents impacted by the May 16, 2025 tornado qualify for a 50 percent reduction in their water rate through December 2028, whether or not they have fallen behind on their bill.
Repayment Plan with 50% Credit: For accounts carrying a past due balance, the Affordability Rate is applied retroactively to May 2025 as a lump sum credit that reduces the balance directly, paired with a repayment plan of up to 24 months. The Division can extend plans to 36 months case by case for larger balances.
Full Credit for Uninhabitable Homes: Where a property has been uninhabitable since the tornado, charges accrued since May 2025 are forgiven outright and the account stops accruing fees.
Fee Waivers: Residents who enroll will not be charged interest or late fees, and turn-off and reconnection fees are waived as a one-time courtesy.
If Your Water Has Already Been Shut Off, You Can Still Enroll
Disconnections resumed on September 30 and are continuing. A household whose service has already been disconnected remains eligible for the program, and the fee waiver covers reconnection. This means a resident who enrolls can have service restored without paying a reconnection charge.
"Water is essential, and disconnection is always our last resort," said Niraj Patel, P.E., Director of Public Utilities. "If your service has already been shut off, it is not too late. Call us. There is a plan here that fits your circumstances, and enrolling is what gets your service back on and your balance moving in the right direction. No one should look at a past due notice and conclude that the help has already passed them by."
How to Enroll
Enrollment is open now through December 23, 2026. Residents only need a photo ID.
Online at stlrecovers.com
In person at the STLRecovers Outreach Center, 4401 Natural Bridge, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where staff will qualify residents and complete enrollment in a single visit.
By phone on the Water Division Customer Service Line at (314) 771-2255
Approximately 45% of visits to the STLRecovers Outreach Center since the program opened has been getting individuals registered.
"We are not waiting for people to find us," said Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery Officer. "Our staff are at the Outreach Center every weekday, at neighborhood events, and on the phone with residents who have questions. If you are not sure whether you qualify, that is exactly what our staff is there for. Recovery is a lot of small steps, taken one after another, and we are going to keep taking them until every household that qualifies for this relief has it."
Residents who have already applied for a City tornado recovery program are prequalified and can complete enrollment in under five minutes.
Water Bill Assistance for Residents Outside the Tornado Zone
Low-income residents who were not impacted by the tornado may also qualify for a 50 percent affordability rate. Residents who are enrolled in another utility assistance program, including Ameren, Spire, MSD or LIHEAP, may present that documentation to qualify.
Residents with questions about their water account or the assistance available to them are encouraged to call the Water Division Customer Service Line at (314) 771-2255.
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