Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.
Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/716370
By Jennifer Rusch I n 1838 the city of Kansas City, MO, was born within the heart of the nation. Deemed the crossroads of the world, Kansas City's legacy of innovation began with a smart grid of water and wastewater infrastructure systems designed to withstand the gritty nature of the times ahead. Nearly 150 years later, some of Kansas City's original infrastructure still serves the city's modern pioneers. Kansas City is now the most connected "smart city" in the world, thanks to a network of strategic data, technology, and transportation investments along a 2.2-mile corridor in the heart of downtown — not far from the city's original foundation along the banks of the Missouri River. Underneath Kansas City's Smart City corridor lies a national innovation — miles of water infrastructure that is strategically selected and managed through the use of over 150 years of water-main data. 2012 was a pivotal year for Kansas City. Extreme drought conditions during the summer months resulted in a record number of water main breaks, which emphasized the city's need to replace aging water infrastructure. That same year, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) issued a staggering report, highlighting a $1-trillion need to address the nation's critically aging water infrastructure. There was no question that Kansas City, along with other cities across the nation, was being challenged to address a backlog of aging water mains. Ready to rise to the challenge, city leaders sought a strategic and data-driven solution for residents. "Kansas City is committed to investing in innovative solutions to meet exceptional challenges," said City Manager Troy Schulte. "In 2012, the need to invest in the city's water system was critical, but rate fatigue for residents was a serious concern. Strategic use of data led to the development of the city's first water main replacement program and one of the first examples of Kansas City's transformation toward leading Smart City initiatives." Pipe Performance: Past, Present, And Future Using as-built information dating back to 1870, KC Water Services' Chief Engineering Officer Andy Shively and his team cataloged the age, pipeline material, and break history of each pipe segment. The city then ran a business risk assessment to determine which segments of pipe were most likely to break and, most importantly, which of those aging pipe segments would have the greatest impact on the city's public health and transportation networks. The program provides added value by matching the 100-year asset life of the product. Kansas City's 100-year water main replacement program replaces 1 percent of the city's water infrastructure with ductile iron pipe, and specifications include the use of zinc coating. The product and the city's water main replacement program are strategically designed to address the city's water infrastructure challenge in a way that delivers the highest return on investment. "Kansas City is a model of innovation and sustainability," says Gregg Horn, VP of technical services for the Ductile Iron 22 wateronline.com n Water Innovations Kansas City's Billion-Dollar Smart Infrastructure Challenge Missouri's largest city is betting that the next generation of water distribution pipelines — smarter, stronger, and highly sustainable — is well worth the investment. Andy Shively, chief engineering officer at City of Kansas City, MO