The Kansas City Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association Standard Specifications and Design Criteria Section 5600-Storm Drainage Facilities (APWA 5600) was first developed in 1966 and went through several updates in subsequent decades.

The Mid-America Regional Council Manual of Best Management Practices (MARC BMP Manual) was first released in 2003, introducing water quality design criteria to address Clean Water Act regulations. By 2006, both manuals cross-referenced the other, but no true integration existed.

MARC, in collaboration with the KC Metro Chapter of APWA and local municipalities, selected a consultant team (Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, Vireo, and Center for Watershed Protection) to update the regional stormwater design criteria which included APWA Section 5600 and the MARC BMP Manual.

The consultant team was managed by MARC and 32 municipalities that served as the management stakeholders (Table 5600-1). From July 2023 through December 2025 the consultant team and management stakeholders held monthly meetings to first develop the process for the stormwater criteria updates, second to engage stakeholders through a series of meetings and workshops, and finally to develop the draft and final design manual.

The engagement process was inclusive of more than 240 different stakeholders and extensive engagement including more than 50 meetings and workshops resulting in over 1,400 stakeholder-hours.