Public informational meeting to discuss Wichita ASR project

The Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources will host a public informational meeting on June 28 to discuss proposed changes to the city of Wichita’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery project. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Halstead High School Auditorium, 520 W. 6 St. in Halstead.

The city of Wichita has the state’s only ASR project, developed and approved in two phases within the Equus Beds Aquifer. The city has proposed changes to the conditions associated with its existing permits for Phase II of its ASR project including a new method to accumulate recharge credits during times of limited recharge capacity, as well as a series of new applications to allow the city to recover recharge credits at its existing production wells.

The meeting will provide the public with information about the city’s proposal and proposed terms and conditions that would be associated with any approval of its proposal. The meeting will also provide the public with an opportunity for questions and answers ahead of the formal review process. The proposal and pending new applications will be subject to a formal public hearing late summer 2018 including recommendations by the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2. 

Details about the ASR project and the proposed changes can be found at the KDA-DWR website at agriculture.ks.gov/WichitaASR. Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least five days prior to the meeting. For more information, please contact Chris Beightel at 785-564-6659.