A department of Johnson County, KS

Project Background and Objectives

In May 2009, federal, state and local officials broke ground on the largest "green infrastructure" project in the State of Kansas to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009--nearly $18 million in a series of improvements to Johnson County's Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant.

The site of this project, the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin facility, is located in Overland Park bordered by commercial and residential development. Originally constructed in 1979, it was recently expanded from 12 MGD to 14.5 MGD and upgraded to meet strict nitrogen and phosphorus effluent goals. As a result of that expanded liquid treatment capacity, additional solids processing capabilities were needed. Thus plans were developed to expand the anaerobic solids treatment system.

This project was very “shovel ready” when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved in 2009. Through the Environmental Protection Agency State Revolving Fund program administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, this project was awarded $17,800,000 as a “green” project with $8,100,000 of this amount as principle forgiveness, a loan that does not have to be repaid.

The project is estimated to result in almost $600,000 in annual cost savings for Johnson County wastewater utility rate payers including power savings and reductions in sludge hauling costs, and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,700 metric tons from purchased power.

The project, built by contractor BRB, of Topeka, Kan., was officially approved by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in March 2009.

Components of the treatment plant improvements include the construction of a new anaerobic digester, a FOG (fats, oils and greases) station to more efficiently receive and treat used greases and oils from restaurants and industries, and a cogeneration system to produce virtually all of the plant's annual operating energy from captured biogases.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009, and directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at www.recovery.gov . The Recovery Act seeks in part to spur technological advances in science and health and to invest in environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.