City manager prepares to issue water watch

Officials set water conservation target at 400 gallons per minute

City considers early closure for Wilson Park Splash Pad

City communicates with large industries to manage water demand

ADM Milling fire suppression test contributes to temporary water supply drop

Low Arkansas River levels slow water system recharge

Aging water wells require costly rehabilitation

Engineering firm continues wellfield study

Mill overlay project rescheduled to avoid Last Run Car Show conflict

City manager prepares to issue water watch

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Arkansas City City Manager Randy Frazer announced plans to implement an intermediate water watch or warning to encourage residents to conserve water. Citing hot, dry weather and high summer water usage, Frazer emphasized that the city is currently constrained in its ability to pump water from the wellfields to the treatment plant to keep up with peak production. Officials plan to run public notices and social media campaigns to inform residents of the conservation efforts.

Officials set water conservation target at 400 gallons per minute

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — In order to comfortably maintain the city's water supply during the current dry spell, officials estimate that overall community water usage needs to drop by approximately 400 gallons per minute. Staff noted that this reduction is manageable and suggested that small changes by all residents, such as switching to an every-other-night lawn watering schedule, would easily help the city meet this target without requiring mandatory shutoffs.

City considers early closure for Wilson Park Splash Pad

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Arkansas City officials debated closing the Wilson Park Splash Pad earlier than its originally planned mid-September date in order to set a public example for water conservation. While staff noted the splash pad does not actually consume a massive amount of water, it was suggested that the facility be closed as the school year begins this week or have its hours severely restricted to avoid angering residents who are being asked to curb their own household water usage.

City communicates with large industries to manage water demand

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — City staff are maintaining active communication with Arkansas City's largest industrial water users to help balance the currently stressed water system. By keeping heavy commercial users informed about the wellfields' limited pumping capacity, officials hope to coordinate operations, mitigate major sudden draws on the water supply and prevent negative impacts on the general public.

ADM Milling fire suppression test contributes to temporary water supply drop

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — A recent fire suppression flow test conducted at ADM Milling contributed to a temporary drop in the city's overall water supply last week. The industrial facility released a large volume of water from the system quickly to test pressure requirements for insurance purposes, creating a sudden deficit. The significant draw forced the city's water production team to briefly scramble to catch up with standard community protection and usage demands.

Low Arkansas River levels slow water system recharge

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Low water levels in the Arkansas River are negatively impacting the city's source water supply, utility staff reported to the city commission. The city's wellfield relies on alluvium that recharges through the river, meaning the current low river levels significantly slow down the aquifer's recharge rate compared to wetter months. Staff stressed that the city is not currently at risk of losing water or shutting off service, but the slowed recharge rate is putting a strain on the system during periods of peak summer demand.

Aging water wells require costly rehabilitation

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — The city is continuing its ongoing effort to rehabilitate and replace its aging water wells, a process that currently costs approximately $600,000 per well. City staff noted that they are aiming to replace one well every two years to maintain capacity. Officials recently had to shut off one older well that lost a significant amount of pumping capacity, which will remain offline pending future rehabilitation.

Engineering firm continues wellfield study

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — An engineering firm contracted by the city last year, Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A., is actively conducting a wellfield study to find additional long-term solutions to the city's water source constraints. Test wells have already been drilled, and pump testing is the next step in the evaluative process. However, officials cautioned that regulatory hurdles mean any major infrastructural solutions identified by the study are likely still two years away from implementation.

Mill overlay project rescheduled to avoid Last Run Car Show conflict

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — A planned mill overlay street project has been pushed back to October to avoid conflicting with the upcoming Last Run Car Show. Officials briefly noted that the overlay project was originally debated for a September timeline, but the schedule was adjusted so the construction would not interfere with the Last Run.

Click here for local obituaries

Click here for local jail logs

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

Contact Us