The Great KC Sewer financial scare

[DaveKCMO]

Higher bills likely with sewer overhaul

To pay for a massive $2.3 billion overhaul of the city’s system, residents are likely to see their rates quadruple over coming years, sending those costs far above the national average.

And that’s not the end of the bad news — Kansas City may need to pony up an additional $1.8 billion in coming years to clean up stormwater pollution, water officials said.

Currently, the average monthly sewer bill is $16.65, but that will likely jump to as much as $60 to $75 over the next decade or so under the task force’s preliminary proposal.

The City Council, without requiring voter approval, could raise the fee 10 percent each year. Eventually, that could add up to nearly $1,000 a year on average for residents.

Task force members decided against increasing the city’s earnings tax, property taxes or a sales tax.

The average annual sewer charge for 2007 was about $25 per month, according to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, which projects the average to rise to about $37 per month by 2012.

But some other cities also are confronting ballooning rates.

i like how they scare us by comparing our predicted rate in the next decade with 2007 and 2012 national averages. if you raise $16.65 by 10% annually through 2012 (starting in calendar year 2009), the rate would be about $43. i suspect they won't go to voters with a bigger increase until they've exhausted the federal funding route (and to avoid a conflict with the light rail vote).

[DaveKCMO]

City wants deadline extension on sewer plan

A Kansas City Council committee on Thursday wrestled with a way to make a looming sewer project more “green” while still meeting a federal deadline.

Russ Johnson, chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee, said the city would ask the Environmental Protection Agency for an extension past the July deadline for submitting a sewer plan.

The committee also asked the water department staff to begin searching for a consultant to study the multibillion-dollar plan for more green options.

A majority of the City Council thinks more money needs to be spent on green solutions such as pervious pavement, green roofs, and rain gardens and barrels to help curb rainwater from flooding sewer systems.

[DaveKCMO]

the EPA accepted KCMO's request for extension to jan. 31, 2009.

[NDTeve]

Anyone else think this should be a higher fiscal priority than light rail?

[LenexatoKCMO]

Anyone else think this should be a higher fiscal priority than light rail?

No

Our sewers are still technically getting the job done - even if the EPA doesn't like the impact.  Our transit system isn't coming anywhere near "getting the job done". 

[DaveKCMO]

Anyone else think this should be a higher fiscal priority than light rail?

no. light rail will be funded by new and dedicated voter-approved sales tax, federal matching funds, user fees, and bonds not backed by the city.

sewers will be funded user fees and the remainder is TBD, but the feds will likely have to assist.

this problem is not unique to kansas city. note that pittsburgh, for example, is not canceling their light rail expansion to pay for their CSO problem.

does anyone think a convention hotel should be a higher priority than sewers? that would come from the general fund!

[LenexatoKCMO]

does anyone think a convention hotel should be a higher priority than sewers?

Yes.

We have been dumping shit in the river for 150 years.  Will another few really make a difference?

[DaveKCMO]

Yes.

We have been dumping shit in the river for 150 years.  Will another few really make a difference?

well, call jan marcason because she seems to disagree...

[ComandanteCero]

KC has no choice, it's not like this is a city initiated effort.  They are being mandated by the EPA to conform with the Clean Water Act, if they don't do something the city will start getting massive multi-million dollar fines (both from the feds and the state).  So.... unless a federal "convention hotel building" agency threatens the city with multi-million dollar fines for each year it doesn't have a convention hotel it's safe to say that sewers are probably a bigger concern at this point.

[PumpkinStalker]

KC has no choice, it's not like this is a city initiated effort.  They are being mandated by the EPA to conform with the Clean Water Act, if they don't do something the city will start getting massive multi-million dollar fines (both from the feds and the state).  So.... unless a federal "convention hotel building" agency threatens the city with multi-million dollar fines for each year it doesn't have a convention hotel it's safe to say that sewers are probably a bigger concern at this point.

Wouldn't that be an awesome agency?!

If only...

[LenexatoKCMO]

KC has no choice, it's not like this is a city initiated effort.  They are being mandated by the EPA to conform with the Clean Water Act, if they don't do something the city will start getting massive multi-million dollar fines (both from the feds and the state).  So.... unless a federal "convention hotel building" agency threatens the city with multi-million dollar fines for each year it doesn't have a convention hotel it's safe to say that sewers are probably a bigger concern at this point.

Ah yes - but that still leaves a question of actual need vs. contrived urgency.  Just because the EPA has us over a barrel doesn't make the actual project any more vital to the city. 

[KC-wildcat]

Are the sewers bad?  I've lived here my whole life.  Never really noticed. 

[nota]

does anyone think a convention hotel should be a higher priority than sewers? that would come from the general fund!

Depends on where you want the hotel's sewage to go.

[nota]

We have been dumping shit in the river for 150 years.  Will another few really make a difference?

You aren't really serious, are you?

Sewers are failing all over the country. Pro-active is a good thing.

As far as dumping in the river, I thought you were a "green-thinking" kind of guy.

[knucklehead]

Are the sewers bad?  I've lived here my whole life.  Never really noticed. 

There is a long plan document up on the city's web site.

The basic problem is not the sewer pipes. It is that the storm sewers that carry rain water connect into the sewage treatment plants. During heavy rains, this deluges the treatment plants with more rainwater than they can treat. As a result large volumes of untreated water (which does contain some actual sewage at that point) is discharged as overflow.

Of course the untreated rainwater/sewage that is discharged at that point is highly diluted because of the very large volumes of rain water exiting the system during heavy rain events.

The proposed solution has to build huge storage tanks and tunnels that could hold the heavy rainwater run off until the rain stops and it can be treated using the existing treatment capacity.

That is the basic gist of the problem. One would never really get that by reading the Star. You have to read the actual plan documents to understand the problem.

The new green emphasis attempts to reduce the rainwater volumes entering the system by building "wetlands" and rain barrels that would hold the rainwater and slow its entry into the system. Another idea is to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces (like parking lots) to slow down the rain water volumes entering the system.

[shinatoo]

Looks like Omaha is starting in earnest on their sewer work. Looks to be in 1.5 billion dollar range. KC could use those kind of jobs right now.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091005/NEWS01/710059950

Any word on where KC is in this process?

[DaveKCMO]

Looks like Omaha is starting in earnest on their sewer work. Looks to be in 1.5 billion dollar range. KC could use those kind of jobs right now.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091005/NEWS01/710059950

Any word on where KC is in this process?

the green pilot project just east of waldo (marlborough) has started, i believe?

[DaveKCMO]

did we just get one-upped by philly?

A Better Road to Clean Water Act Compliance

With the most ambitious program of its kind in America, Philly is looking to remediate its combined sewer overflow problem with a massive program of green building designed to prevent the problem in the first place.

back to KC, there was an editorial last week (?) that said the water dept needs to step it up with their plan to they can tell residents how much their bills are going up. so it looks like we are dragging on this yet again.

[NDTeve]

Thought I read something about this recently...Cauthen was working on this as we speak.

[DaveKCMO]

News from the Water Services Department
City Communications Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.
www.kcmo.org
CONTACT: Mary Charles, city communications officer, (816) 513-1356
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2009

Construction continues on stormwater improvement project

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department is reminding residents that work on the $1.2 million stormwater collection and conveyance project on Gardner Avenue just east of the Chouteau-Gardner intersection is in full-swing and lane closures around the area should be expected for the next several months.

Construction began in early October on the first of three phases anticipated along Gardner Avenue to reduce flooding. Future phases will improve the drainage to the west of this location.

The City's contractor, Foley Company, will construct a storm drainage system consisting of area inlets, enclosed storm sewers, a vegetated detention basin, a vegetated open channel, and utility relocations. The vegetated channel or bio-swales will direct water into the detention basin which will reduce flooding and improve the quality of stormwater runoff.

This is among the first "green" stormwater projects constructed by the City.

Construction will also include an asphalt roadway overlay that will help maximize runoff captured, thereby helping maintain open lanes during high water events. Construction should be completed in May of 2010.

For more information, contact Colleen Doctorian, public information officer for the Water Services Department at (816) 513-0232.

The Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department maintains and operates water collection, processing and distribution systems, stormwater management and control systems, and waste water collection and processing systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City region. Operation is funded entirely by fees charged to customers based on their use of products and services, not by taxes.