(Kansas City, Mo.) – Today, KC Water announced its participation in the national advocacy and educational event, Infrastructure Week, which takes place from May 15-19, 2017. Across the country, businesses, labor organizations, elected officials, and more will come together spread the message about why it is #TimeToBuild.
For FY18, KC Water will invest nearly $150 million in Kansas City’s infrastructure. That work includes miles of new water mains, repairs to fire hydrants and the replacement of water valves.
“Every year we invest tens of millions of dollars into Kansas City’s water infrastructure. We make strategic, data-driven decisions about repairing, rehabilitating, and replacing the water, wastewater, and stormwater lines that are underneath our city.” said KC Water Director Terry Leeds.
Infrastructure is the foundation of our jobs, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and even national security and public safety. Yet the nation’s transportation, water, energy, and communications infrastructure is under-funded, poorly maintained, and inadequately designed to meet 21st century needs. Freight and passenger networks are congested, water systems and energy grids were designed generations ago, and roads and bridges are falling apart. There is a massive gap between the need to invest in our infrastructure and current funding. Now is the time to build something better.
“We are thrilled that KC Water is joining Infrastructure Week. The dire state of America’s infrastructure is one of the most pressing issues facing us as a nation, and the benefits of a stronger, better infrastructure system will be far-reaching and long-lasting,” said Zach Schafer, director of Infrastructure Week. “During Infrastructure Week, we bring together the public and private sector to encourage lawmakers to think long-term and invest in infrastructure at the federal, state and local level.”
More information about Infrastructure Week can be found here: http://infrastructureweek.org/
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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