Primacy Fee on Utility Bill

In 1992, the Missouri legislature enacted the public drinking water primacy fee to support the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' efforts to ensure Missourians have access to an adequate supply of water that is safe to drink. The primacy fee provides critical funding for laboratory services and activities the state must perform in order to maintain delegation of the federal drinking water program. This delegation is called “primacy.” In the 49 states that have primacy, public drinking water systems are regulated by a state agency instead of the federal government. Without the primacy fee, the Department would lack the funding to implement critical regulations necessary for protecting public health and maintaining primacy. If the state was unable to maintain primacy, regulation of Missouri’s public water systems would revert back to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

To see more about what the Primacy fee, please go to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources: https://dnr.mo.gov/.../drinking-water-primacy-fee.../pub2229