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City hears July update on Wichita Water Works; handover still targeted for fall 2026
Summary
Public Works and Wichita Water Partners reported clarifier repairs are wrapping up and performance testing (PTAs) is underway; if three 30-day PTAs succeed, staff said the plant handover could happen mid–late October 2026, followed by a six-month joint operations period.
Public Works Director Gary Janssen and Ron Coker of Wichita Water Partners briefed the council on repairs and testing at the Wichita Water Works plant and the timeline for handing operations over to the city.
Janssen said coatings and repairs are nearly complete on several clarifiers and that testing is proceeding; Ron Coker described the PTA (performance test) sequence and said PTA A ran 30 days at 25 million gallons per day and PTA B began July 23. "We hope to be done with codings on SCC 2 and 6 as early as this week," Coker said; if three PTAs suffice the city is aiming for a mid- to late-October handover, he added. Council members asked about staff training; Janssen and Coker said city staff are working side-by-side with Wichita Water Partners during testing and the plan is roughly a six-month period of staffed operation before full transition.
Council members pressed for clarity on the likely handover window and staff training plans; staff said timings depend on the success of ongoing PTAs and weather impacts have slowed coatings work at times. The city manager and Public Works agreed to keep the council updated as PTAs conclude and the transition schedule solidifies.
