Water from below: the Missouri River floodplain
Chesterfield Valley, a community inside the city limits, has more than 4,500 acres of levee-protected area, according to the city's floodplain page. The Monarch-Chesterfield levee holds back Missouri River floods. Protected ground is still low ground, so drainage depends on pumps and on how well your own equipment works.
That is why a failed sump pump matters so much near the Valley. When the river rises, groundwater tends to rise with it, and a pit that was dry for months can fill quickly. If you manage property there, sump pump repair or a battery backup is worth pricing before the next river warning.
July 30, 1993: when the levee failed
The Monarch levee failed at about 10:15 p.m. on July 30, 1993. Floodwater stood 6 to 15 feet deep across roughly 4,000 acres of the Valley, which had not flooded since 1935 (public radio reporting).
The city says the main levee has since been raised 5 to 7 feet and widened by up to 300 feet. A separate privately maintained agricultural levee to the north was expected to overtop in 2017, and in 2013 it came very close before the city started Valley Watch. The takeaway for an owner is to keep a call plan ready, because protection reduces the risk and does not remove it.
River warning or a pump that will not start?
Call the 24/7 line. We will walk you through what to unplug, what to shut off and what to photograph.
Business owners in the Valley
Public radio reporting puts the Valley at about 240 businesses before the flood, over 900 by 2013 and about 15,000 jobs. That is a lot of restrooms, floor drains and grease lines on one drainage system.
A restaurant or warehouse manager should know where the main shutoff is and who to call after hours. Our commercial plumbing service handles emergency leaks and drain stoppages. Your lease, not the plumber, decides who pays.
Sewage backing up and the city's lateral program
Chesterfield's sanitary and storm sewers belong to MSD, and the city's Residential Sanitary Sewer Lateral Repair Program is separate from it. Voters approved the program on April 4, 2000, effective January 1, 2001, with a $28 annual fee on the real estate tax bill collected by the county. It targets certain repairs on homes of six units or fewer.
The city page does not list exclusions, so ask City Hall what a given repair would get before you hire a digger. In a backup, sewer line cleaning gets water moving again, and a camera shows whether the pipe needs repair.
Tank heaters past their prime
Chesterfield incorporated in 1988 and had about 40,000 residents by 1993. We have no published median build year for the city, so we cannot say how many homes still have their first heater. The practical rule is to check the data plate and plan for a water heater replacement when a tank passes a decade.
Missouri American Water supplies the city. Its 2023 St. Louis region report printed Missouri River plant hardness of 82 to 226 ppm and Meramec plant hardness of 66 to 150 ppm, but the report is system-wide and names no Chesterfield street. Test your tap, because sediment in a tank is a plausible result of any hard supply.
Permits: the city zones and the county issues
The City of Chesterfield issues a Municipal Zoning Approval, and St. Louis County issues the building permit afterward under a contract with the city. A fire district approval is a separate permit.
The city's page does not address plumbing permits or water heater swaps, so confirm with St. Louis County whether yours needs a permit. We will say what we see before work starts. Licence checks go through the county's plumbing examiners board.
Downtown Chesterfield and the old mall site
The former Chesterfield Mall site, 96 acres, was demolished from October 2024 to summer 2025. The Staenberg Group's planned Downtown Chesterfield project is described at about $2 billion, with up to 2,363 residential units (news report, December 2025). Its current status after that date is unverified.
Large construction projects can disturb water and sewer service nearby. If your water turns cloudy or loses pressure with no leak on your side, call the utility first and then us.
Before we arrive: floodplain and backup checks
Four steps for a flooding or backup call in Chesterfield.
Keep clear of electrical.
If water is near a panel or appliances, do not wade in. Leave the area and call us or the utility to make it safe.
Check the sump pit.
Look at the pit and the float without touching wiring. Note if the pump runs, hums or is silent, and tell dispatch.
Move valuables up.
Lift documents, electronics and boxes above the floor while you wait. Flood coverage is often separate, so call your insurer.
Mark the shutoffs.
Know where the main valve and the water heater shutoff are. In a business, tape a note by the valve for after-hours staff.
Neighbors and nearby ZIPs
Town and Country is a separate neighboring city, and some of its mail uses a 63017 address. Farther south, Ballwin and Ellisville each run their own lateral program and permit office, so check those pages if your property is there.
Chesterfield, MO on the map
Questions we hear in Wildwood, MO
Chesterfield has two standard ZIPs that list Chesterfield as the preferred city. ZIP 63017 is the larger and includes Central Park at 16365 Lydia Hill Drive, and it also uses the Town and Country alias.
ZIP 63005 lists Wildwood as an alias and sits next to the Wildwood-named ZIP 63038. It is served by the Rockwood School District. These ZIP details come from public databases and USPS confirmation is open, so give dispatch the street address.
Yes. Flooding, backups, bursts and dead heaters all get an answer from the 24/7 line, nights and weekends included. Call the 24/7 emergency line from Chesterfield and name the cross streets. A same-day visit is possible when the schedule allows, and the price is clear before any work begins.
The city says the Valley is protected by the Monarch-Chesterfield levee, which has been raised and widened since 1993. Protection lowers the risk, but it does not remove it. Check your sump pump, and call if it fails.
The city's lateral repair program may help with defective laterals, supported by a $28 yearly fee. Coverage limits are not listed on the city page, so ask City Hall. Whoever pays, a backup tonight can be cleared tonight.
The city gives zoning approval, and St. Louis County issues the building permit under contract. Plumbing specifics are not on the city's page, so ask the county whether your job needs one.
Town and Country is a separate neighboring city, and some of its mail carries a 63017 address. Call and give dispatch your address so we can confirm.
Have a question this page did not answer? Call (855) 575-2890 at any hour and a dispatcher will talk it through.