KANSAS CITY, MO — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Missouri (ACEC/MO) recently presented GBA and KC Water an Honor Award (waste and stormwater category) in its 2022 Engineering Excellence Competition for the design of the KC Water Trolley Trail Basin project. ACEC/MO’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards honor engineering achievements demonstrating the highest degree of merit and ingenuity.

The Trolley Trail Basin project is a successful example of city departments working together for the betterment of the community. The city of Kansas City, Missouri, along with GBA, developed a unique project that provided enhancements to the landscape while improving water quality.

To relieve overflow and capacity issues in the Blue River Interceptor Sewer, GBA designed a 3-million-gallon clay-lined earthen storage basin with accompanying gravity sewers, automated control, and gate system and radio signalization for the city’s remote system. As part of the sewer project, KC Water and KC Parks worked together to include a trail that would connect the park to the Trolley Track Trail and improve the existing park loop trail. The project also benefited the community by removing and properly disposing of more than 51,000 tons of unregulated landfill material at the site.

The Trolley Trail Basin project met Kansas City’s consent decree requirements and provides additional resources for the community to utilize in South Oak Park.