Story by Nancy Miller & Colleen M. Newman
Water. It's what led some of the earliest settlers to the Kansas City area by allowing them to easily transport and receive trade.
Today, the river is still a vital resource for shipping cargo, but just as important, it is the source of water for more than 1 million people in 24 communities in the greater Kansas City area.

During the earliest days of Kansas City, most residents drew water from cisterns and wells, but water-borne illness was rampant and fire protection lacking. In 1874, the City Commissioners selected the National Water Works Co. of New York to build and operate the city's first water works. With 12 miles of mains and a capacity of 5 million gallons per day, operations began in 1875, giving the city "good" water from the Kaw River. In 1887, the water supply was switched to the Missouri River. In 1895, the city bought out the National Water Works Co., forming what is today the Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department.

The department expanded the city's water system and in 1920 took on the largest civic project to date -- construction of the Kansas City North Water Treatment Plant and a three-mile-long tunnel to deliver the water to residents south of the Missouri River. By 1930, the Kansas City North Water Treatment Plant was completed and able to provide residents up to 100 million gallons of water per day. Today, the department produces an average of 115 million gallons per day, transforming the Mighty Mo into safe, clean water -- meeting or exceeding all state and federal guidelines.

In addition to water treatment, the department also operates eight wastewater treatment facilities to ensure that the water we use is returned to the river in as good or better condition than when it was received.

The Stormwater Utility Division maintains the city's stormwater system transporting rain and runoff from the city streets into nearby lakes and streams helping to prevent flooding.

The Department is continually upgrading and maintaining the system which includes more than 2,300 miles of water mains, 2,600 miles of sewer lines, more than 30,000 stormdrain inlets and nearly 18,000 fire hydrants.

Voters passed a $150 million bond program in August, 1996, to fund improvements to the water treatment plant, transmissions system, water main replacements and other system improvements. Among the major projects are the replacement of two-inch mains that were installed in the 1940s and 1950s to improve water pressure and fire protection.