1. Envision applied to Kansas City Water Services
cenews.com/article/9815/envision-applied-to-kansas-city-water-services
July 2014 » Feature Articles » Sustainable Design
Project plans include green infrastructure improvements at strategic locations to capture rainwater,
ultimately reducing the occurrence of sewer overflows.
Sustainability has often been associated with the East and West coasts of the United States, but
increasingly, Midwestern cities have become strong supporters of sustainability activities as well,
especially as they relate to civil infrastructure development. Some, such as Kansas City, Mo., have
embraced the concept of sustainability and made it a core value for both new and existing infrastructure.
Through the application of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision program, Kansas City is
becoming a model for sustainable development.
The City of Kansas City’s commitment to the Envision program begins with city leadership and extends
down to the departments — in particular, the Water Services Department. In 2013, Kansas City’s Mayor
Pro Tem Cindy Circo became one of the first elected officials in the nation to achieve accreditation as an
Envision Sustainability Professional. As an elected official with significant interest in infrastructure projects,
she has encouraged Kansas City Water Services to incorporate the Envision principles into the long-term
plan for the utility.
“As an Envision Sustainability Professional and an elected official, I am able to better understand,
promote, and encourage sustainable decision-making as part of our community’s long-term infrastructure
investments,” Circo said. “This is an exciting program that I am proud to be a part of and I look forward to
applying it here in Kansas City.”

2. Kansas City Water Services is uniquely positioned to incorporate the Envision philosophy as part of
programmatic development and implementation. The city’s Overflow Control Program was the first in the
nation to include green infrastructure as part of a Federal Consent Decree to improve water quality by
reducing sewer overflows.
The program represents an estimated $4.5 to $5 billion investment over a 25-year period and is the largest
infrastructure investment in Kansas City’s history. While Kansas City’s Overflow Control Program will
provide a launching point for the application of Envision principles, Kansas City Water Services also plans
to incorporate Envision processes and protocols throughout future programs and projects.
Kansas City Water Services began by applying the Envision philosophy to the very foundation of the utility.
With Circo’s support, the department has achieved certification as a public sector agency, nine Water
Services staff members have become credentialed as Envision Sustainability Professionals, and the
department has plans to establish Envision project management specialists in the near future. Kansas City
Water Services is also examining and revising existing procedures to incorporate Envision protocols. This
complete approach encompasses the standardization of language in requests for qualifications and
proposals, identification of sustainability tasks in the project scope of work, standardization of construction
details and specifications, and revised communications protocols. Water Services has a goal of
establishing two Envision-certified projects by 2016, with an overall goal of achieving a systemic
framework for community, environmental, and economic benefits for all projects.
“The application of Envision will support Water Services’ goal of maximizing the return on the investment
our customers are making through the Overflow Control Program,” said Terry Leeds, Water Services
director. “Sustainable decision-making is a key attribute that will continue to impact our work today, and for
generations to come.”
Kansas City is committed to reaching city-wide goals for sustainability. The city has allocated more than
$68 million to green infrastructure projects, the first of which was completed in 2012 as part of a 100-acre
green solutions pilot project. Kansas City will be applying the Envision process, along with lessons learned
from the pilot area, to the next phase of this project, which encompasses sustainable practices as part of
the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of constructed improvements in the 644-acre project
area.
“Kansas City will be incorporating the principles outlined in all five categories of the Envision program to
guide sustainability improvements as part of this important infrastructure investment,” said Andy Shively,
Water Services engineering officer. “The principles will be implemented from the onset of the project,
allowing Water Services to maximize the benefits to the community.”
Design professionals have applied the Envision principles to the project planning process beginning at the
project’s inception. Project plans include green infrastructure improvements at strategic locations to
capture rainwater, ultimately reducing the occurrence of sewer overflows. The project will also create
amenities for the community and serve as a national model for green infrastructure best management
practices. Based on an initial assessment, the project is expected to achieve a high score in three of the
five Envision credit categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, and Natural World. Kansas City Water Services
intends to enhance the project to meet requirements in the remaining categories, which will bring the
project to a potential achievement level of Platinum, the highest Envision rating possible.
The measureable outcomes applied through the Envision process directly support Kansas City’s vision for
becoming a national model for sustainable practices. Kansas City will continue to use the Envision
principles to guide future projects as part of the city’s Overflow Control Program, as well other key
infrastructure investments.

3. Jennifer Rusch is media relations coordinator with Kansas City Water Services. More information about
Kansas City’s implementation of Envision and the city’s Overflow Control Program is available
at www.kcwaterservices.org. More information about the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and the
Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System is available at www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.
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