Water Protection Program Rule Development

Public Drinking Water Branch | Water Pollution Control Branch

The following rule developments are being considered. The Regulatory Impact Report provides information on the rule development. Please provide comments in the time frames indicated. All comments received will be posted with responses prior to filing as a proposed rulemaking. Once filed and published in the Missouri Register, there will be another opportunity to comment during the proposed rulemaking open comment period and public hearing prior to adoption. Thank you for your interest and assistance in developing these rules.

MoDNR Regulatory Agenda


Public Drinking Water Branch

Stakeholder meetings
Staff from the Public Drinking Water Branch's Wellhead Protection Section will conduct stakeholder meetings to obtain comments on proposed amendments to chapter 4 PDF (Monitoring Well Construction) of the Missouri Well Construction Rules. Meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the following locations

For more information, e-mail Beth Marsala or Sheri Fry or call 573-368-2165.

View draft rulemakings from the links below.

10 CSR 23-2.010 - Fee Structure Amendment
This proposed amendment would raise the maximum allowable fee collected for well certification and registration, permit fees, and exam fees. The current maximum fee levels were set when the Water Well Driller’s Act was revised in 1993. The new levels proposed should continue to sustain the Groundwater Protection Fund; which supports the Wellhead Protection Section and its mission of protecting Missouri’s groundwater through proper well construction.

A public hearing will be held on the draft Fee Structure Amendment at 9 a.m., Sept. 2, at the department's Division of Geology and Land Survey, 111 Fairgrounds Road, in Rolla.   Public comments will be accepted from Aug. 1 to Sept. 5. 

10 CSR 23-1.050--Qualifications
10 CSR 23-1.060--Applications for a Permit
This proposed rulemakings would require all persons applying to work as a well driller or pump installer under the Missouri Well Construction Rules to first work as an apprentice under the supervision of a permitted driller or pump installer. The proposal would eliminate the current requirement for an applicant to submit experience vouchers and would allow the program to track the actual work being completed by the applicant. This proposal would allow the program to verify the applicant’s experience instead of receiving the verification from others. This change would assure that all new well installation contractors receive supervised, on-the-job training. This change should increase overall competency of Missouri’s well installation contractors.

Comments on the above draft rulemakings can be submitted by e-mail to Sheri Fry or by mailing to:

Sheri Fry
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Water Protection Program
P.O. Box 250
Rolla, MO 65402-0250


Water Pollution Control Branch

10 CSR 20-7.031 Water Quality Standards
The department recently concluded its regular Triennial Review of the state's Water Quality Standards. During the review, the department identified several standards that were 1) inconsistent with federal guidance for water quality criteria, 2) the subject of a public request for revision for which information was provided in support of a revision, or 3) incomplete or unclear. To address these issues, the department prepared preliminary draft revisions to the standards involving the following criteria: copper and zinc, ammonia, identification of stream classification segments, recreation use designations, nutrients within lakes and reservoirs and site-specific dissolved oxygen.

Comments can be submitted by e-mail to Phil Schroeder. Comments may also be sent by mail to:
Phil Schroeder
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Water Protection Program
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0176

10 CSR 20-7.031(2) Water Quality Standards - Antidegradation
This amendment fulfills an obligation under 40 CFR 131.12, that requires a state to develop and adopt a statewide antidegradation policy and identify the methods for implementing such policy pursuant to the federal rule. The state previously developed and promulgated an antidegradation policy in Section (2) of this rule and is now proposing to incorporate into Subsection (D) of this rule a reference to the implementation methods as approved by the Clean Water Commission on May 7, 2008.