Major flooding at KCK government building is ‘wake up call,’ county says
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, City Hall building remains closed as officials assess damage after a fire water main froze and burst, causing significant flooding.
Early Wednesday, the building and logistics team were alerted of a water main that burst in the offices at 701 N. 7th St. and responded around 2 a.m., said County Administrator David Johnston. The team found a fire water main that had frozen and burst in an unused portion of the building’s ground floor, flooding the ground floor and basement.
Fire crews responded to help with the situation, and crews from the Board of Public Utilities uncovered the main water box, which was buried under water, debris, gravel and rock salt, to shut off the water to the building.
Because the fire water main is highly pressurized, a strong burst of water flooded the building, Johnston said.
When he inspected the building Wednesday, Johnston said a large portion of the visible water had been removed, but crews were still working to remove more.
The building and logistics team will then determine the extent of the damages and the potential cost of repairs. He noted that the area of the building where the fire water main burst is no longer in use, but specifics of what was damaged by flooding were not yet available.
‘Pay attention to our aging infrastructure’
Johnston said Unified Government officials will need to assess how to keep the larger and rarely utilized space warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing again.
The building and logistics team will do similar assessments at other government buildings, he said.
“It’s a wake-up call for all of us to pay attention to our aging infrastructure in our buildings,” Johnston said. “That’s where our citizens come as customers and our employees come to serve the public. We’ve got to make sure we have the safest environment possible for all of them.”
Since water was shut off at the building, City Hall was shut down Wednesday and all employees who could were instructed to work from home. The closure affects all in-person services and programs that operate out of City Hall, including municipal court.
Officials don’t yet know if the building will remain closed Thursday and said they will provide an update Wednesday evening.
Other Unified Government buildings and services are not affected.
Employees and residents can call 913-573-5311 for updates on the situation. The Unified Government will also provide updates on its website and social media regarding the closure and ongoing effects on services.
