Wichita officials said ozone season for the city’s air quality will begin Saturday, March 1st and it will continue through October 31st.
City officials are urging residents to help keep ozone levels low by reducing driving and idling time, lowering home energy usage, fueling automobiles before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., or using public transit.
Residents can stay engaged during ozone season in a variety of ways, including visiting the web page beairawareks.org. To learn more about ozone, what the City is doing to combat it, or learn when there is a high ozone day, residents can sign up for ozone alerts – which are issued when there is a risk of high ozone – at wichita.gov/ozone. The community is encouraged to follow the City of Wichita on social media for ozone forecasts, tips and news.
Ground level ozone is a harmful air pollutant which can have negative health and economic consequences. Ozone is formed in the presence of four main ingredients: oxygen, heat, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides or (NOx). VOCs occur naturally or can originate from chemical fumes from paints, thinners, fuel oil, and gasoline. NOx is typically formed by internal combustion from cars, trucks, buses and lawnmowers.
