Now completed, the project consists of park enhancements and educational
displays. Enhancements include a covered public area, restroom facilities,
including an aquarium featuring native aquatic plants, fish and other habitat.
Educational displays highlight project activities and discuss the importance of
protecting the environment. Exhibits are designed to "come to life" thereby
enhancing the information and engaging the observer. In addition, the treatment
area is available for public tours.
The City of Wichita received the prestigious Ford Foundation's Innovations in
State and Local Government Award from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy
School of Government, for forward-thinking leadership with the will to create
revolutionary practices to accomplish community goals.
Since 1991, the City has taken the initiative to clean up contamination in
the Gilbert and Mosley area. Had the City of Wichita not taken this approach to
clean up polluted groundwater, the Old Town District and many other downtown
Wichita improvements would not have happened. There was also fear of
environmental, public health and safety issues for the community.
The Gilbert & Mosley site encompasses approximately 3,850 acres that contain
groundwater contamination. The City of Wichita, with the approval of the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) began constructing a groundwater
treatment system to begin the remediation of the contaminated groundwater.
The treatment system is adjacent to the Education Center located in Herman
Hill Park. The Education Center, designed by Gossen and Livingston Architects,
is a premier facility that demonstrates how polluted water is cleaned,
preventive of future ground water contamination and the interrelationship of
ground water to the river system.
The ground water treatment system removes contaminates by pumping 1.2
million gallons of water a day from 13 wells from the underlying aquifer and
pipes the water to a treatment system in Herman Hill Park. The treated water
discharges into a meandering creek, other water features, irrigation
applications, possible industrial re-use and into the Arkansas River. CDM has
served as the engineering design and construction firm for the project.
For more information:
http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Environmental/WATERCenter/
