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Wichita council backs water reuse pilot, approves CDM Smith contract amendment and funding plan
Summary
Council approved a CDM Smith contract amendment to design and operate a pilot advanced water purification project as part of a water reuse master plan; the pilot design amendment (~$742,000) brings the consultant contract to about $1.9M and staff estimated the small‑scale pilot at ~$7M (total program near $9M). The vote was unanimous.
The Wichita City Council approved a contract amendment with CDM Smith and a revised budget to initiate a small‑scale water reuse pilot that positions the city to pursue direct potable reuse.
Gary Janssen, director of Public Works and Utilities, framed the proposal as part of a long‑term strategy to drought‑proof the region and support economic development. He told council that past droughts and modeling show the city cannot reliably rely on surface water transfers or a second reservoir and that advanced reuse is the most practical long‑term option.
Janssen described the pilot as a proving ground for the advanced water purification train — ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet disinfection — and said CDM Smith’s amendment (about $742,000) would refine design and support piloting and operations. That amendment would raise CDM Smith’s contract to roughly $1.9 million; the small‑scale pilot plant construction and multi‑year operations were estimated at $7 million, bringing total project estimates to about $9 million (staff cited $9.2M in available CIP funding when combined with prior allocations).
Janssen noted recent state statutory changes were enabling: “On 04/09/2026, the governor signed House Bill 2462 into law,” which requires KDHE to create reuse regulations and opens the way for potable‑reuse projects in Kansas.
Council members focused questions on public engagement, education, and cost. Vice‑Mayor Glasscock and others suggested mobile demonstrations and strong community outreach. Janssen described planned outreach with Exploration Place, district advisory boards, stakeholder steering committees, and proposed a public‑view trailer at Plant 2 so residents and regulators could see the pilot process.
Councilmember Hoheisel asked about scale; staff described the pilot capacity as a small experimental unit (about 50 gallons per minute, roughly 70,000 gallons per day), intended only for technology validation — “we’re not taking this to the system” during pilot testing — while full‑scale steps would be analyzed in a later ROI and funding study.
The council voted unanimously to approve the contract amendment, revised budget, and initiation of the pilot project.
Next steps: staff will pursue equipment procurement, seek Title XVI and other grant funds to offset costs, keep public engagement active through exhibits and district boards, and return additional funding and ROI analyses for full‑scale implementation.
