(Kansas City, Mo.) – On Monday, April 24th, KC Water celebrated the completion of 100 miles of the Water Main Replacement Program with a ceremonial pipe signing.
KC Water started a strategic and data-driven Water Main Replacement Program after 2012 when there were 1,844 water main breaks. In 2016, the number of main breaks dropped to 814, a 56% drop in four years, and the fewest in almost two decades.
“It’s great to measure our progress and to recognize all the hard work that went into this program,” said KC Water Director Terry Leeds. “We look forward to many years of ongoing water main replacement to protect the public health and safety of our residents now and in the future.”
“We started this effort a little over four years ago and it’s part of our promise we made to residents of Kansas City. If they approved a $500 million water revenue bond authorization, we would start fixing the infrastructure so that’s what we’re here to do, to show progress,” said City Manager Troy Schulte.
Through the Water Main Replacement Program, our goal is to proactively replace one percent of the system, or 28 miles, of break-prone pipe each year. Fewer water main breaks mean increased service reliability and fewer disruptions for our customers.
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
###
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.
Follow KC Water: Website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Instagram • NextDoor