(Kansas City, Mo.) – On Tuesday, October 6th, KC Water invited community partners to see what pervious concrete, porous asphalt, grasscrete, permeable pavers, and large scale rain gardens look like and how they reduce and clean stormwater runoff, thus improving the water quality of area streams and rivers.
It was a celebration for the completion of the Swope Campus Parking Lot and Sustainable Stormwater Improvements Projects.
The new parking areas and rain gardens are designed to catch, infiltrate, and slowly release up to a 10-year rain event, which is roughly equal to 5 inches of rainfall within a 24-hour period of time. Medians and landscaping enhance parking lot safety and appearance, and they bring the parking lot up to modern standards. This project sets the stage for future outdoor learning features or “learning labs” to be built in a later phase. And, a paved walking trail, an outdoor plaza, an entrance canopy, and optimized outdoor lighting create a “campus feel” that supports healthy living.
“KC Water is committed to investing in the future of the region’s water quality. This project supports that investment with sustainable green infrastructure improvement,” said Terry Leeds, Director, KC Water.
Mark McHenry, Director of KC Parks; Troy Schulte, KCMO City Manager; Bon Marie Gardner, KC Water Project Manager; Jim Schuessler of BNIM; and Lisa Treese, KC Water Landscape Architect joined Leeds for a ceremonial planting.
The new facility will be open to tours for those wanting to learn more about the possibilities of green infrastructure.
KC Water Services broke ground on the project in July 2014 with four goals in mind: 1) enhanced campus connections; 2) parking lot improvements; 3) stormwater runoff reduction; and 4) water quality education.
Here’s a look at the project from beginning to end:
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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