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KDHE outlines plan to capture Burton chloride plume and blend water with Wichita supply
Summary
KDHE presented findings on a large groundwater chloride plume from historic brine ponds near Burton and described phased remediation options, focusing on a blending project with Wichita’s well field that KDHE estimates could be phased for about $19.3 million, with an initial $9.9 million funding ask to start work.
KDHE deputy secretary and director of environment Kate Gleason told the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee that historic unlined brine evaporation ponds used during oil and gas production have left an estimated 1,900,000 tons of salt in groundwater near Burton.
Gleeson summarized field data showing chloride concentrations commonly ranging from about 200 to 1,400 milligrams per liter in the plume and noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency treats chloride as a secondary contaminant (a taste-and-aesthetic guideline of 250 mg/L rather than a primary health standard). She said agricultural damage typically begins around 350 mg/L, putting irrigators and some domestic wells at risk.
Why it matters: the plume covers roughly 30 square miles, intersects private domestic wells and irrigation points, and is migrating slowly toward the Wichita Well Field used for aquifer storage…
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