Work at the new water treatment plant has currently been ceased due to ongoing issues with the clarifiers. According to a news release, Wichita Water Partners (WWP), the entity building the plant that currently has ownership of the facility, contacted City staff to alert them that there was a mechanical failure in the clarifiers at the facility. The facility will now not be operational before the end of 2025.
Clarifiers remove suspended solids from water being treated.
“The City Council and City staff are extremely disappointed with the continued pattern of missed deadlines from WWP for bringing the plant online,” the news release stated. “The plant was originally slated to be handed over to the City after successful testing in April of 2025, then a revised expectation of completion by WWP was amended to December 2025.”
At this time, there is no expected cost to ratepayers for the delay in commissioning the plant. Wichita Water Partners has accepted responsibility for the missed deadlines and is bringing in a third-party expert to determine the cause of the mechanical failures in the clarifiers.
“The City understands and shares residents’ frustration with the continued delays in completing this project,” the release continued. “The water treatment plant is the single largest public works project in the city’s history, and the clarifiers being built are among the largest in the country. Ensuring the facility is reliable and there is full confidence in its performance is essential before the City agrees to take ownership.”
City staff expect to have more information from WWP in the coming weeks with details on the necessary repairs and how WWP plans to proceed with completing the facility.
