The population of Johnson County, Kansas, was growing rapidly. Water District No. 1 (WaterOne) needed a reliable, long-term water supply. A 2003 water master plan identified the need for an additional 150 million gallons per day (mgd) of capacity over the next 40 years. However, no water sources within the county had the necessary reliable capacity. Black & Veatch helped to secure an adequate supply of safe, reliable drinking water for Johnson County residents through the year 2050. And it was done with facilities that are in harmony with the natural setting.
Black & Veatch determined that it would be necessary to obtain the water for the new facilities from the Missouri River, which is 16 miles away. There were concerns with drought and degradation of the river, making the client’s challenge more complex. Black & Veatch’s solution was that the initial 60-mgd supply would be from horizontal collector wells rather than a traditional river intake.
The solution called for the use of a microfiltration membrane process instead of conventional media filters. This technology provides a physical barrier for many contaminants in the source water. The water treatment plant has also been designed to be operated remotely. That allows WaterOne to reduce its cost of operation.
The water treatment plant and most of the 16-mile-long treated water transmission main is located in an adjacent county, and the facilities serve Johnson County. Therefore, it was important to keep the residents in the rural setting near the plant and along the water main informed. Black & Veatch designed the facilities to blend into the rural setting. The operations building was styled to look like a horse barn and the other structures to look like outbuildings. The community embraced the architectural theme.
Protection of the environment was, and is, an important objective in the design process. To meet this objective, the Black & Veatch design team utilized high-efficiency pumping units, energy-saving process equipment and conservation of transmission pumping head. In addition, the use of residual monofills reduces the carbon footprint of this facility.
