KANSAS CITY, MO, Jan. 31, 2012 -- As part of a 2010 Federal Consent Decree, the Kansas City (MO) Water Services Department continues to make system improvements as its third wastewater disinfection project comes online at the Birmingham Wastewater Treatment Plant. Disinfection is being added to all Kansas City, Mo., Water Services wastewater treatment plants by the end of 2013.
The disinfection systems are designed to improve the quality of wastewater that is returned to the Missouri River. The system at the Birmingham Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to kill bacteria in the wastewater. The wastewater is then de-chlorinated before being discharged into the creeks and rivers
The disinfection systems will operate April 1 through Oct. 31, the water recreation season, when people use Missouri's bodies of water for recreational activities.
In addition to the disinfection system at the Birmingham Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Birmingham plant will receive other facility upgrades totaling $7.9 million by January 2013.
Water Services' first disinfection system was installed at the Rocky Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant in September 2011. As an alternative to adding a disinfection system to the Northland Mobile Home Park Wastewater Treatment Plant, wastewater is now pumped to the Rocky Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant, eliminating the Northland Mobile Home Wastewater Treatment Plant.
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