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Committee hears bill to clarify tracer‑wire rules for sewer and storm lines
Summary
A House utilities committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 1629, which clarifies when costly tracer wire is required for underground sewer and storm installations. Sponsor Sen. Travis Fitzwater and industry witnesses said the language is meant to prevent unnecessary costs while preserving damage‑prevention practices.
Sen. Travis Fitzwater told the House Committee on Utilities that Senate Bill 1629 is a narrowly focused effort to clarify last year’s legislation (Senate Bill 133) about when expensive tracer wire must be installed with underground utilities. Fitzwater said the change is ‘‘basically clarifying language’’ negotiated with home‑builders to avoid adding unnecessary costs to new homes and that the related Senate language previously passed 32–0 on consent.
The bill, as Fitzwater described it, specifies that sanitary sewer mains and laterals installed at depths greater than 6 feet remain exempt from the tracer‑wire requirement and clarifies how storm sewers are treated for that exemption. ‘‘We very clearly negotiated that with the home builders to ensure that they weren't having more costs to be put on the back of homebuyers,’’ Fitzwater said.
Ranking Member Representative Taylor pressed for precision about the 6‑foot threshold. Taylor asked whether the exemption applies only to lines deeper than 6 feet and whether water lines remain subject to tracer‑wire requirements. Fitzwater and a supporting witness confirmed the working interpretation: the exemption applies to sanitary mains and laterals installed at depths greater than 6 feet (typically for gravity systems), while water lines still require tracer wire; storm sewers, which are usually shallower, are clarified in the bill so they are not mistakenly treated as falling under the 6‑foot rule.
John Bardje, appearing for the Saint Louis Home Builders, testified in support. Bardje said some communities had misread last year’s text to require tracer wire on many shallow storm structures and that such a reading would impose substantial and unnecessary costs. ‘‘If you look at this bill … the current language … is not the boldface. It says exception of all storm sewers and sanitary sewer mains under 6 feet,’’ Bardje said, arguing the bill restores the intended meaning and avoids passing extra cost to homebuyers.
Brian Burnskader, representing the Missouri 811 one‑call system (formerly known as One Call), described the measure as consistent with the intent of last year’s law and said his organization had no objection to the clarifying language.
Committee members repeatedly stressed the bill is meant as clarification rather than a rollback of damage‑prevention obligations. Representative Steinmeier said he wanted to be certain the language would not ‘‘reduce compliance burdens’’ or weaken 1‑call safety; committee discussion confirmed sponsors’ intent to preserve damage‑prevention practices.
The committee concluded the public hearing on SB 1629 and moved into executive session for separate business. No committee vote on SB 1629 was recorded during this meeting.
What happens next: No further committee action on SB 1629 was recorded in this transcript; sponsors and supporters said the language is intended to be a technical clarification to avoid unintended costs while maintaining locator safety practices.
