Green solutions in Kansas City's Fifth District

The Fifth District City Council members, Cindy Circo and Terry Riley, met with your host (Deb O'Bannon) to discuss the neighborhood aspirations and impacts from the green solutions/raingarden demonstration project in the Middle Blue River drainage area. Listen to the podcast.

Levees in the Kansas City area

Karin Jacoby, P.E., J.D., MPA, who is also one of the 16 members of the National Committee on Levee Safety, shared about levee history, levee characteristics and the national efforts to ensure levee safety in this post-Katrina period. Listen to the podcast.

Statistics for everyone

Dr. Deb explains about the general usefulness of statistics, the difference between accuracy and precision, issues about curving grades in college, and other points of context that you might need to understand the statistics that are generally presented in the media. Listen to the podcast.

Water Softening

Dr. Deb explains the chemistry behind water softening. When you listen, you'll find out that hardness (calcium and magnesium) deposit much faster from hot water than cold, and that engineers can arrange a deposition of hardness solids in a water treatment plant by adding lime and washing soda. She even explained a little about flocculation and carbonate chemistry (CO₂, HCO₃^-, CO₃^-2)! Listen to the podcast.

Aging Infrastructure - Dan Murray, P.E.

Deb interviewed Dan Murray from the USEPA Aging Infrastructure group at the 2009 ASCE EWRI conference that was held here in Kansas City. The Kansas City ASCE Section sponsored the showing of "Liquid Assets" which examined the need to replace and renew our aging water infrastructure. He referred to a very large water main break that we all saw on the news. Here is a link to photos of wooden pipes and tours of the Paris sewers. Listen to the broadcast.

Bill Carter, P.E. - new sewer under park

Bill Carter from GBA Engineering tells Deb and the audience about how and why a 60" sewer pipe was installed under the Overland Park Arboretum. He shared how they're boring under the park. Listen to the broadcast.

Mary Lappin, P.E. - water distribution systems

Mary Lappin's experience in managing Kansas City, MO's water system was explored as she and Deb explained the size of the distribution system, what happens when lines break and how water treatment security has changed since 9/11/2001. Listen to the broadcast.