Wichita commits $7.2m to next phase of critical water-pipe inspections

Wichita commits $7.2m to next phase of critical water-pipe inspectionsThe Wichita City Council has unanimously authorised a third phase of inspections for prestressed concrete cylinder pipe in its distribution system. The work will assess approximately 23 miles of major pipelines, including lines serving southeast Wichita and Derby.

Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with Pure Technologies is worth $7.2 million, increasing the total contract amount from $7.441 million to $14.6 million.

The third phase will inspect about 23 miles of PCCP, including a major line serving southeast Wichita and Derby and a line intended as a secondary connection between Wichita Water Works and Hess Pump Station.

Earlier phases inspected approximately 10.5 miles of pipe, with no leaking or failed pipes identified and no repairs required.

Council approved a revised project budget of $16 million; the existing $8 million budget was supplemented by capital programme funding.

Wichita City Council has approved a $7.2 million expansion of its prestressed concrete cylinder pipe inspection programme, authorising the assessment of approximately 23 miles of major water-distribution pipelines. The unanimous October 6 decision approves Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with Pure Technologies and raises the total value of the PCCP evaluation contract to $14.6 million. Council also adopted an amending resolution to increase the project budget to $16 million. The latest phase will examine a major distribution pipeline serving southeast Wichita and providing service to the City of Derby. It will also assess a large PCCP line planned to act as a secondary connection between Wichita Water Works and Hess Pump Station. The work builds on an inspection planning contract approved in 2023, intended to establish the methods and sequence for assessing PCCP assets identified in Wichita’s distribution system. The first supplemental agreement, approved in October 2024, established standard pricing for Pure Technologies’ inspection methods and detailed the scope, schedule and cost estimates for the first year of assessments. That first phase inspected approximately six miles of pipe. A second supplemental agreement, approved in April 2025, covered a further 4.5 miles. Public Works and Utilities staff told council that neither phase found leaking or failed pipes, and that no repairs are currently required. Prior to the new approval, the contract amount stood at $7.441 million. The new agreement adds $7.2 million. The city had previously approved an $8 million project budget in April 2025, while its adopted 2027-2036 capital improvement programme includes $4 million in both 2026 and 2027 for the pipe rehabilitation project. Staff requested initiation of the full amount for the revised $16 million budget. No council member raised questions or objections before the vote. The approval allows planning for the next group of pipeline inspections to proceed.