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Derby council moves to annex land for new water treatment plant and updates conservation plan
Summary
Council authorized initiation of island annexation for a 12.8-acre water treatment facility site and adopted updated emergency water regulations and a revised conservation plan as Derby advances a multi-year effort to increase local water capacity and resilience.
The Derby City Council voted 7-0 on May 13 to begin island annexation proceedings for property the city purchased to build a new water treatment plant and two well sites, and to adopt updated emergency water regulations and an updated water conservation plan.
The annexation resolution covers two parcels totaling about 12.8 acres north of 90 Fifth Street and across the Arkansas River from Derby city limits. City staff said the annexation would allow zoning, subdivision review, building permits and site-plan review to proceed under city authority rather than the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners. Council member Coleman moved to adopt the resolution citing KSA 12-520(c); the motion carried 7-0.
City Manager Kyle Mingus said the plan is to complete annexation and then zone and plat the land, with site-plan review to follow. “After annexation, then the property will need to be zoned and then platted and then site plan review,” Mingus said. Officials said they expect to bring an ordinance for final annexation to council on July 8, after the county has 30 days to review the certified resolution.
Mingus and City Engineer Alex Lane described the long lead times and logistics that remain: construction of several miles of transmission main to carry water from the new plant into Derby, easement negotiations with property owners along the route, and equipment orders that may require preorder to avoid supplier delays. Lane estimated roughly five to six miles of new water main will be needed and said routing will use county rights-of-way where possible to reduce private easement takings.
On water policy, council adopted revised emergency water regulations and an updated water conservation plan, also by a 7-0 vote. Mingus said the city’s code was clarified to add an appeal process and to better align the plan with regional practices; Derby is contractually tied to Wichita and must coordinate restrictions. “We are contractually required to follow Wichita,” Mingus said, noting Wichita’s new treatment plant and the variable timing of KDHE approvals. The council discussed using more of Derby’s water rights once the city’s own plant is online and the possibility of phasing increased local supply to reduce peak-season pressure on regional sources.
Mingus said the city’s contract with Wichita currently limits Derby’s use of its water rights; staff intend to open early discussions with Wichita to seek incremental changes that could shift more peak-season supply to Derby as the treatment plant comes online in the coming years. He also said KDHE reviews and approvals will affect the project schedule and that some mechanical components for the plant may have very long lead times.
Councilmembers asked about technical details including whether transmission lines would run under the Arkansas River (staff said routing will be below the river) and whether reuse or purple-pipe opportunities would be built into the design (staff said a reuse study is planned and that crews will look for routing/easement space to add reuse lines in the future).
The council’s actions set the city on a multiyear path: complete design work, secure required KDHE approvals, construct the treatment plant (staff estimated mid-2027 as a target) and install several miles of transmission mains to deliver treated water to Derby.
