(Kansas City, MO) – KC Water is nearly complete with the Central Industrial District (CID) Green Infrastructure and Improvements project in the West Bottoms area.
The CID green infrastructure project includes three areas in the West Bottoms; the Riverview, the Stockyards and the Warehouse Districts. There are new infiltration systems, new drains, permeable paved streets, gravel infiltration trenches, improved bike and nature trails. The purpose of these natural solutions is to collect, treat and infiltrate stormwater runoff and control overflow.
“This is a part of the Smart Sewer program where we are basically trying to separate storm water from the combined system,” said KC Water Engineer and Project Manager, Terry Godard.
Details of the project can be found here, on KC Water’s Smart Sewer Projects web page.
In the Riverview District, from Wyoming to Mulberry Street underneath the I-70 viaduct, engineers designed an infiltration system to catch rain water as well as an above ground collection system. The side will have scuppers to collect drainage from the I-70 deck and empty it into two cisterns below. The bike trail that runs along Inner City Viaduct Street will have bump-outs to go around the cisterns, a rest stop, and bike racks.
“We worked closely with the Heritage Trail Association to inform them and let them give input on what they want to see down here,” said Godard.
The nearly 10 million dollar project has been in the making since 2016. At the Warehouse and Stockyard Districts, near I-670 and Liberty Street, KC Water restored some of the original 100 year-old sett stones used in the roadway and combined them with new permeable surfaces. This area, ideal for festivals and street markets, allows rainwater to soak through the ground. Nearby, an interactive boardwalk system that will allow the public to observe the native plants and the bio-swale collection system.
“When complete, this project will help protect the environment by reducing the amount of stormwater entering our sewer system, which will lessen the frequency of sewer overflows,” said KC Water Director, Terry Leeds.
“It will be a great place to sit on the boardwalk, have lunch and just enjoy the view and nature,” Godard added.
Although COVID-19 has interrupted some construction, the CID green infrastructure project is expected to be substantially completed by mid-September of 2020 and the final completion by the end of the year 2020.
For more information, contact Heather Frierson, KC Water Media Relations Coordinator heather.frierson@kcmo.org, 816-513-0280, cell: 816-674-0211
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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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