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Council ratifies emergency purchase after heavy rain floods airport regulator vault
Summary
After 10.3 inches of rain flooded an underground electrical vault at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, staff reported eight failed regulators and presented an ~ $104,000 replacement bid; council ratified the exigency purchase to restore lighting and operations.
Councilors ratified a Wichita Airport Authority public exigency purchase to replace failed lighting regulators at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport following a flood during a June 25 storm.
Nathaniel Henkel, assistant director of airports, told the council that Illumination and regulator equipment in an underground vault took about 18 inches of water overnight; after inspection staff found eight of 25 regulators had failed. Henkel said the airport received a recommendation from an electrical engineer and sought three quotes; two vendors declined and Cooper Kraus Heinz provided a responsive bid slightly under $104,000 with an estimated eight-week lead time and a ship date in mid-September. In the interim, staff restored lighting using jumper connections and available capacity from recent LED upgrades.
Mayor Wu thanked airport staff for work to maintain safe operations. Henkel said operations continued day and night while crews cleared water and assessed damage. The council voted to approve and ratify the exigency purchase; the motion passed unanimously.
