Kansas City’s Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure Receives Envision Platinum Sustainable Infrastructure Award

WASHINGTON (October 11, 2016) – Kansas City’s Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure projects, owned by KC Water, recently received the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) Envision Platinum award. The Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure projects are the 20th overall sustainable infrastructure award from Envision.

The Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure projects were designed to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the region. The projects were developed in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and a Federal Consent Decree to reduce combined sewer overflows. The project area encompasses 744 acres of watershed flowing to two combined sewer outfalls, both of which flow into the Blue River. These projects are the first green infrastructure projects for Kansas City’s Overflow Control Program and are the result of a decade-long interest and commitment to the use of green infrastructure by numerous stakeholders, including the Wet Weather Community Panel, City Council and professional engineers and residents.

“Sustainable infrastructure projects are starting to build momentum in North America, and these projects are contributing greatly to their local communities, their environment, and their economies,” said ISI President and CEO William Bertera. “As sustainable infrastructure projects serve the community, the Kansas City Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure projects highlight the health of the city’s water and sewer flows that contribute to the quality of life and sustainability of the water infrastructure effects on the local economy.”

“People everywhere are worried about crumbling infrastructure,” said Terry Leeds, director of KC Water. “This award demonstrates that Kansas City is a leader in meeting our immediate and long-term infrastructure challenges while maximizing the return on investment that our customers must make in the federally mandated Overflow Control Program.”

For more information, visit ISI.