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Wichita council approves $1.2 million study on water reuse, including direct potable reuse options
Summary
The City Council approved a contract and budget to study water recycling and direct potable reuse as part of a long-term resiliency plan, directing staff to pursue funding and broad public engagement.
Wichita leaders voted to approve a $1.2 million contract and project budget to study water reuse alternatives, including direct potable reuse, as a long-term step to shore up the city’s water supply during prolonged drought.
The study, recommended by Public Works and Utilities Director Gary Jansen and to be led by CDM Smith, will inventory treatment options, assess regulations, identify funding sources and run public engagement and pilot work to test technologies and messaging. "We are not just sitting back and waiting for it to rain," Jansen said, summarizing the urgency behind the proposal.
City staff told the council that Cheney Reservoir and the Equus Beds aquifer remain Wichita's primary supplies but that recharge and optimization efforts will yield diminishing returns. The study will examine industrial reuse (nonpotable) and direct potable reuse (DPR), where treated wastewater is purified and returned to the potable supply. CDM Smith’s team — which includes public-outreach lead Katz & Associates — will draft a pilot plan the city intends to submit to the Bureau of Reclamation and to coordinate with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "The first step towards developing that DPR is really developing a pilot work plan," CDM Smith project manager Sarah Stewart said.
Council members and staff emphasized public outreach and regulatory coordination. Jansen said the city has begun conversations with KDHE and that the firm will also look for federal and state funding to offset costs. Council member Lacey Tuttle, who serves on a local reuse task force, urged quick action and said reuse is important for economic development as well as household supply.
The council approved the recommendation by roll call, 7–0, authorizing staff to initiate the study and the contract.
The contract covers planning, regulatory outreach, pilot demonstration design and a public engagement program; staff said future construction costs or implementation phases would be presented separately and could require additional funding or rate considerations.
The study will also evaluate potential public-health issues (PFAS and other contaminants) and treatment barriers; CDM Smith noted that typical DPR multi-barrier systems include granular activated carbon and other processes that can remove PFAS.
City staff said they will report back to the council on pilot scope, potential funding opportunities and any regulatory steps required to enable potable reuse in Kansas.
