A 25-year initiative to upgrade Kansas City’s wastewater collection system with the goal of protecting human health and the environment passes a 10-year milestone this fall.

On Sept. 27, 2010, a federal judge signed a Consent Decree requiring Kansas City to reduce the volume and frequency of wastewater overflows into the environment. True to Kansas City’s civic spirit, KC Water took an innovative and data-driven approach by developing the Smart Sewer program to meet the federal requirements.

Over the past decade, projects costing more than $750 million have set the stage for improved water quality and infrastructure modernization aimed at reducing long-term costs to the utility. Kansas City focused on using nature itself to help manage stormwater and relies on data-driven analysis to guide the most effective repairs and upgrades.

This has been a decade of improvements and innovation, including the successful completion of 33 projects — each on time and on budget. These projects have enhanced the reliability of our sewer system and improved public health and our natural environment by reducing the number and volume of sewer overflows during wet weather. These projects fueled the local economy by putting people to work while helping grow small minority- and women-owned businesses. 

In addition, 20 construction and 27 design projects are currently carrying the program into the next decade by:

• Expanding the use of green infrastructure where it will benefit the community the most
• Continuing to rehabilitate our existing sewers using an enhanced asset management program that maximizes the capacity of our existing system
• Analyzing the results of our efforts

• Constructing new sewers to move wet weather flows to our pumping stations and treatment facilities

Many employees of the City and companies that are part of the Smart Sewer program and all the community members who have engaged with the program deserve a special appreciation in reaching this ten-year milestone.

Ten years into the initiative, Smart Sewer outcomes are right for public health and safety while safeguarding our wastewater sewer system infrastructure for future generations. Join us in reflecting on the past decade with the photos below. This work serves as a strong foundation for the Smart Sewer vision we will carry into the future.