A collaboration between Johnson County Government, Johnson County Park and Recreation District and the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County will result in a solution that will save millions of dollars.

After months of work, these groups collaborated to identify land to be used for a future wet weather storage facility site. Today, Aug. 25, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved $100,000 for the purchase of property from the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County, within the city of Shawnee, for future use as a Johnson County Wastewater wet weather storage facility site.

The storage facility will be part of the Mill Creek Interceptor, and will receive excess wet weather flows going to the treatment facility and hold them until the facility has sufficient capacity to treat the water.

“We collaborated with JCPRD to identify the perfect site to offer the best solution for the community,” said Susan Pekarek, Wastewater general manager. “This purchase offers a large savings. Constructing peak flow storage in the collection system is a lower cost alternative that will save approximately $50 million to build and avoid a more disruptive project.”

The wet weather storage facility is located north of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Vista Drive (see map). The property comprises five one-acre plots of currently vacant land owned by the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County and sits adjacent to property owned by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and the Gary L. Haller pedestrian trail.

In addition to the five one-acre parcels for the storage facility, Wastewater and JCPRD are cooperating on an easement to provide permanent vehicular and utility access across JCPRD property to the facility from Vista Drive.

“Partnering with Wastewater on this truly important project made sense for many reasons, chiefly to avoid a much larger disruption to JCPRD and other private property along Mill Creek in the alternative,” said Jeff Stewart, JCPRD executive director.

Bill Maasen, superintendent of Parks & Golf Courses for JCPRD added, “Educational kiosks will also be placed on the trail to help educate the community about the partnership, the facility and the importance of protecting water quality in our community.”

Additional easement agreements must be acquired from JCPRD but will be determined by the final design of the facility, which is underway and will include collaboration with Wastewater and JCPRD. Earlier this year, the BOCC approved funding through the Capital Improvement Fund of the Consolidated Main Sewer District for the project’s design phase.

Once the extent and layout of the easements are known and negotiated with JCPRD, Wastewater will request the Board accept the easement transfer.