Wichita advances $9.6m Aquifer Storage and Recovery expansion alongside broader utility upgrades

Wichita advances $9.6m Aquifer Storage and Recovery expansion alongside broader utility upgradesThe city council has greenlit a major capital injection for water and wastewater infrastructure, prioritizing long-term aquifer recharge capabilities and an $11 million package for pump, wellfield, and treatment plant rehabilitations.

Council members approved a $6.6 million funding initiation for the ASR Phase 3 project, bringing its total budget to $9.6 million, supported in part by a Bureau of Reclamation grant.

WSP USA Inc. was awarded an $830,000 supplemental agreement for final design and construction oversight of the two new ASR recharge basins.

An additional $11.07 million was authorized for general utility improvements, including $3 million for raw water pumps at Cheney Reservoir and $2.1 million for a new UV disinfection system at Wastewater Treatment Plant 3.

Public Works and Utilities staff confirmed the multimillion-dollar capital expenditures are included in the adopted 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Program and will not impact ratepayer bills.

Wichita is accelerating its drought mitigation and utility modernization efforts following the City Council's unanimous approval of more than $17.6 million in newly initiated capital funds on March 3, 2026. The centerpiece of the infrastructure package is the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Phase 3 Recharge Basins project. Council members authorized $6.6 million to cover final design and construction, elevating the total project budget to $9.6 million. According to Don Henry of Public Works and Utilities, the project will construct two new recharge basins strategically located to maximize artificial recharge in areas where the aquifer is most depleted by centralized wellfield pumping. The expansion will utilize existing ASR infrastructure, including the Little Arkansas River intake, membrane microfiltration, and advanced oxidation processes, avoiding the need for new treatment facilities. To execute the expansion, the council approved Supplemental Agreement No. 1 with WSP USA Inc. for $830,000, covering final design and construction oversight. This brings WSP's total engineering contract on the project to $2.48 million. The ASR project is being financed through water utility funds and a United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) assistance agreement that covers up to 25% of qualifying costs. Alongside the ASR project, the council approved an $11.07 million funding package for widespread water and sewer upgrades aimed at extending asset life and ensuring system reliability. Key allocations in the utility package include: - $3 million for the Cheney Pump project to replace four aging high-service raw water pumps. - $2.4 million for ongoing wellfield rehabilitation to maintain municipal water supply wells. - $2.1 million to replace an outdated and unsupported ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system at Wastewater Treatment Plant 3. - $1.2 million for the rehabilitation of the city's sanitary sewer lift stations. - $1.02 million to replace aging wooden power poles with metal poles across the Equus Beds wellfield to improve electrical resilience against high winds. - $800,000 for new variable frequency drives (VFDs) at the Southeast Booster Pump Station to regulate distribution pressure and reduce energy consumption. Henry noted that all approved utility projects are accounted for within the city's adopted 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and will not result in any immediate impact on water or sewer rates.