Columbia City Council receives ordinance outlawing water pollution from camps

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is expected to receive the required waterway permit from the Department of Natural Resources, with an ordinance to manage encampments near bodies of water up for a final vote in the coming weeks.

"The department expects to issue the permit by the end of this month," DNR spokesman Brian Quinn said in a statement.

If approved, the measure would update City Ordinance 12A-178, which bans dumping trash, yard waste and other debris into waterways, adding, "human waste or litter from encampment activities or other gatherings in close proximity to any waterway."

The update was created as part of the City's stormwater management plan, which is required for the DNR's MS4 permit. The MS4 permit is a federal EPA regulation that helps control the area's water quality by preventing pollutants and trash from entering the water, while allowing the city to dispose of its sewage legally.

DNR has not been satisfied with Columbia's current stormwater management plan and previously required the City to create ordinances that resolve the issue of pollution from homeless camps. DNR has stated that Hinkson Creek, Grindstone Creek and Hominy Branch contain E. coli from human waste from homeless encampments near the streams.

The measure is up for final reading by the City Council on July 20.

This is an ongoing story.