Quick answer
For water damage in Bella Villa, MO, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. MSD has run the sewers here since 1956; call it if every drain backs up at once. Then call a water damage restoration company; drying should start within 24 to 48 hours. Missouri insurers must acknowledge your claim within 10 working days.
Do this first
Local water and sewer lines.
Missouri American Water, MSD sewer lines, and the St. Louis County flash flood table are on the Maplewood page.
- Shut off the water. Close the house valve, then report any break outside to Missouri American Water.
- Make it safe and document it. Cut power to wet rooms from a dry spot, photograph the damage, then report the claim.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. The Metropolitan Sewer District has looked after Bella Villa's sewers since 1956. Call MSD if every drain backs up together; a single slow drain is a plumber call.
Gravois Creek forms Bella Villa's north edge. The city bought creekside land in 1978 to keep it out of development. Never drive into water over a road.
What to know about water damage in Bella Villa
1947
The year Bella Villa incorporated. A collapsing sewer inlet was backing sewage and storm water into a sinkhole, and fixing storm water was a main reason to form the city.
Source: City of Bella Villa, history
MSD since 1956
Bella Villa first paid the Lemay Sewer District $9,240 to connect its 157 homes. When the Metropolitan Sewer District began in January 1956, it took over the city's sewers.
Source: City of Bella Villa, history
The Flood of '93
In 1993 the city evacuated for five days when floating fuel tanks on the River des Peres posed a threat. The city history says no houses flooded.
Source: City of Bella Villa, history
A sewer bond vote
An August 1949 vote on a $50,000 sewer bond fell short of the two-thirds it needed. The measure passed in a second election that November.
Source: City of Bella Villa, history
Homes in Bella Villa
The median home dates to 1948 and about 76% were built before 1960. About 83% are owner-occupied, and about 98% were built before 1980.
Check your ZIP
Flash flood warnings in St. Louis County
The National Weather Service issued 58 flash flood warnings that included St. Louis County from 2016 through November 12, 2026. The year-by-year count is on the Maplewood page.
Cost and insurance in Bella Villa
How much does water damage restoration cost in Bella Villa?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Gravois Creek water that enters from outside is a flood claim. Basements in 1940s homes often have block walls that hold water; test them.
Water removal and restoration in Bella Villa
The company that answers handles basement sewer backups, burst pipes in older homes, water heater failures, sump pump failures, and storm water at basement walls, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Bella Villa questions
Who has maintained Bella Villa sewers since 1956?
The Metropolitan Sewer District. It took over from the Lemay Sewer District when it began operating that January.
Did Bella Villa flood in 1993?
The city evacuated for five days, but its history says no houses flooded.
Where is Bella Villa City Hall?
In a building finished in 2001. The phone is 314-638-8840.
Which ZIP code does this page cover?
The Bella Villa part of ZIP 63125, which also takes in Lemay and other parts of south St. Louis County.
Related guides
Other Missouri towns- Burst pipe, not frozen
- Sewage backup: what to do first
- Burst pipe repair cost
- Missouri insurance claim rules, in plain English
- Frozen and burst pipes: what to do
- Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
- How long water damage takes to dry
Local phone numbers checked November 2026: