Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Kansas City’s Sewer System - “Where We’ve Come From and Where We’re Headed”
Work has begun on an unprecedented 25-year, $2.5 billion project to reduce overflows from Kansas City's combined and separate sewer systems. Kansas City's largest ever infrastructure project, it is utilizing a laundry list of green surface projects to reduce stormwater as well as underground infrastructure to separate combined sewer systems.
Lara Isch, Water Quality Educator for Kansas City Water Services, discussed the history of Kansas City’s combined and separate sewer systems, the development of the federally mandated Overflow Control Program and how the program aims to improve water quality and reduce sewer overflows over the next 22 years.
She also discussed the results of the Middle Blue River Basin Green Solutions Pilot Project, step one in the Overflow Control Program.
Meet Your Presenters
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
- Click here to download presentation flier (pdf)
- Info on Overflow Control Program (KC Water Services)
- Video: "Kansas City, Missouri's Middle Blue River Basin Green Solutions Pilot Project"- posted by GOforKC
- Research: "Character and Trends of Water Quality in the Blue River Basin - 1998-2007" - US Geological Survey
- Article: "Getting Control", June 2010, Municipal Sewer & Water Magazine
- Article: "Using Green to Make Blue: KCMO’s Plan to Reduce Combined Sewer Overflow " - by Bridging the Gap
- Article: "Seeing Green: Green Infrastructure Pilot Provides Valuable Lessons for KCMO" - WaterWorld Magazine
- Article: "Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project Brings Success to the Surface for Combined Sewer Overflows" - October 2012 issue of Stormwater journal
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in Kansas City
is hosted by these wonderful partners!
- Little Blue River Watershed Coalition
- Friends of Lakeside Nature Center
- Missouri River Relief
- Healthy Rivers Partnership
- Friends of Big Muddy
- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
- Kansas City Digital Video
Thanks to all of our venue hosts for making this possible! Click here for a list of upcoming presentations» The Big Muddy Speaker Series is also held monthly in Rocheport and St. Charles.
Recordings of Presentations
Kansas City Digital Video has been recording Big Muddy Speaker Series presentations. These are available on their website at this link. Some contain synchronized powerpoint presentations. We will be posting these to the archived presentation pages on bigmuddyspeakers.org. Thanks Micheal Morgan and crew for putting this important archive online! The Big Muddy Speaker Series is partially funded by the Columbia Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS) and the Mo. Dept. of Conservation.
Upcoming Presentations
Leave No Trace Training on the Barge
October 14, 2026St. Louis, MO
Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.
See Event
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event