(Kansas City, MO) – KC Water employees recently had the privilege of visiting with a very young engineer.
Damon Mertz is only 5 years old but he can tell you a lot about a wastewater pump station. His mother, Heather Kellam, said Damon has always wanted to know where things would go. “It started with a vacuum,” said Heather. “Then, where does the water go when it goes down the sink? We just tried to show him things that piqued his interest.”
“We have a little sewer at the end of our driveway. I flushed the toilet and I put my ear to the sewer and I heard it go in there,” said Damon.
One day in late June, a KC Water crew was doing some work on Damon’s block. He was thrilled and had his picture with the crew, which his mother shared on Instagram. Later, Damon even built his own treatment plant with his Legos.
KC Water wanted to show Damon the real thing and invited him on a tour of the Fishing River Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Kansas City. John Lopez, chief plant operator and Jorge Garcia, plant operator, showed Damon just how wastewater gets from his home to the treatment plant. Damon said his favorite part was the control panel.
We hope Damon’s interest in wastewater engineering lasts as long as the small poop emoji souvenir he got to take home.
For more information, please contact Heather Frierson, Media Relations Coordinator, at heather.frierson@kcmo.org or 816-513-0280.
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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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