Hannibal Water Quality Class Action Suit Near Settlement

A class-action lawsuit against the Hannibal Board of Public Works and the City of Hannibal over water quality issues appears to be near settlement.

The case was filed in Marion County in 2016 by four Hannibal residents. It was later moved to a St. Louis court. The plaintiffs argued BPW was negligent in maintaining amounts of the disinfection byproduct trihalomethanes below EPA allowable limits. Some studies have shown a higher incidence of certain cancers due to exposure of excessive levels of the byproduct.

The settlement calls for the defendants to commit a minimum of $5 million for water improvements. BPW plans to install a carbon water filtration system estimated to cost over $14 million. The settlement also calls for a minimum $205,000 settlement fund for residents who consumed the water for a minimum period of three years, between the dates of September 2011 and February 2016. Members of this medical-monitoring class must submit a claim for out-of-pocket costs for a urinalysis for blood and urine cytology by October 23, 2018.

The Court will hold a fairness hearing August 24, to determine whether the proposed settlement is fair and reasonable. More information and the claim form is online at hannibalbpw.org.