Kansas City BPU

Source: Energy Digital

Date :2/18/2008 3:54:28 AM

Exec learns more about how the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is working to provide the highest quality electric and water services to all its customers

Written by Ian Armitage & Produced by Jon Ellingwood

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, or BPU, is located in Kansas City, Kansas, across the Missouri River from the larger city, Kansas City, Missouri.

BPU’s history goes back to 1909 when the City of Kansas City, Kansas, bought a water treatment plant from a private company. In 1911, voters authorized a bond issue to construct an electric light plant and electric distribution system.

Later, in 1929, the Kansas State Legislature transferred the management of the water and electric light plants from the city to an elected Board of Public Utilities, independent of city government, but a dependent agency of the City of Kansas City. The purpose for the utility’s formation was then, and is now, to provide the best quality electric and water services at the lowest possible cost to customers.

James Epp is BPU’s Manager of Water Operations. Epp says that the utility’s mission is to “be the utility of choice and the workplace of choice, while improving the quality of life in the communities it serves.” BPU currently serves approximately 66,000 electric and 50,000 water customers.

Mr. Epp, affectionately called Jim by his colleagues and friends, started working at BPU 18 years ago as a Civil Engineer. In 1990, he was promoted to Director of Water Support Services and in 2004 he was appointed Director of Water Distribution and Support Services.

Epp was heavily involved in the development of the utility’s Water System Master Plan which led to the construction of the Nearman Water Treatment Plant with its state-of-the-art horizontal collector well, the largest alluvial well of its kind in the US The plant opened in 2000. A second horizontal collector well was completed in 2006.

Epp explained that the collector wells draw water from an underground aquifer, approximately 100 feet below the surface of the Missouri River. Natural filtration of the water through sand and gravel beneath the river eliminates suspended materials and potentially harmful organisms.

The water is then pumped to the treatment plant for further processing. Once the water is chemically treated and filtered to make it safe for consumption, it is pumped through hundreds of miles of underground water mains to BPU’s customers.

Another aspect of BPU’s long-range planning process brought about the construction of a new pump station and reservoir. The $21 million project was completed last year and named in honor of Robert L. Milan, Sr., BPU Board President. The pump station can pump 30 million gallons per day and the storage reservoir holds six million gallons.

“BPU has one of the most sophisticated, safe, and reliable public drinking water systems in the country,” said Epp. “It’s critical that we as a community recognize this and reflect on the importance of maintaining and preserving this critical public asset.”

What’s on the horizon?

BPU also provides electricity to its customers. In 2003, the utility’s Electric System Master Plan revealed that by 2023, BPU will need approximately 20 percent more power than it currently generates to meet expected customer demand and reliability.

In recent years while BPU was making plans to construct a new clean coal generating facility, talk of climate change and global warming became a major concern in the US and the state of Kansas. Late last year the state denied approval of two new coal plants proposed by another utility, based on environmental concerns. So BPU’s plans for its new coal plant have been put on hold while it explores other alternatives for power generation.

Winds of change

Meanwhile, Epp explained, BPU was also pursuing renewable sources of power. “Wind was high on the agenda,” he explained. BPU has a 20-year purchase contract with TradeWind Energy LLC, for the purchase of 25 megawatts of energy generated by wind turbines in western Kansas. The wind power will supplement BPU’s base-load generation produced by the utility’s power plants.

“Although my focus is the water business, I am aware that the public still has a lot of questions on how to best proceed when it comes to the new power generation issue,” says Epp. Regardless, new power generation is a top priority with BPU. Meanwhile, BPU recently received its first transmission of 13 megawatts of Kansas wind power.

What’s causing this need? Kansas City has, according to Epp, enjoyed a tremendous amount of growth recently and BPU has played a dynamic role in these efforts. Working with community leaders, the local government, businesses, and not-for-profit groups, BPU has helped stimulate growth and progress in the county. As a result, the area has attracted new retail and commercial businesses, an expanded manufacturing and industrial base, new home growth, and destination-based tourism attractions. Epp says BPU remains committed to continuing the economic growth and success the community has experienced in the last decade, while providing the same reliable and affordable service it has always offered.

Giving back to the community

BPU and its 640 employees have always been strong supporters of service and involvement in the community. For example, the BPU Annual Charity Golf Tournament has raised more than $300,000 for local children’s charities over the years. The utility and its employees are also major contributors to United Way of Wyandotte County. This year they have pledged $371,570 to the charity. This major offering ranks BPU as 18th in the top 100 United Way contributors in the larger metropolitan area.

Awards and recognition

BPU’s trade associations have also recognized the utility’s outstanding performance. In 2006 BPU was recognized as being one of the nation’s most reliable and safe electric utilities. BPU was one of only 64 public utility companies to receive the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) award from the American Public Power Association.

“Receiving the RP3 designation demonstrates a utility’s commitment to its employees, its customers, and its community,” Epp said.

More recently BPU was honored with one of the top water utility achievement awards of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). The organization represents the US’s largest publicly owned drinking water utilities. Its members are water utilities that serve populations of 100,000 or more, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami-Dade County.

BPU was one of seven drinking water systems that earned an AMWA Gold Award for Competitiveness Achievement, recognizing their accomplishments in applying competitive business strategies to meet the expectations of drinking water consumers and municipal leaders.

“That was an amazing achievement,” says Epp. “It is proof of our continuing success.” But the real proof, he says, is in meeting the electric and water needs ?of BPU’s customers, every day, all the time.

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