Wichita City Manager Robert Layton has announced that the city is moving to mandatory water restrictions because of the ongoing drought and declining levels at Cheney Reservoir.
The city is officially moving to Stage Two of its drought response plan, which will limit outdoor watering to one day a week. Layton said Stage Two begins on Monday, August 5th, and he revealed a map showing the city divided into quadrants for lawn watering.
- Monday – Northwest of the Central and Broadway intersection
- Tuesday – Northeast of the Central and Broadway intersection
- Wednesday – Southwest of the Central and Broadway intersection
- Thursday – Southeast of the Central and Broadway intersection
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday – no outdoor water usage allowed
All outdoor water use will be prohibited between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. There will be some exemptions for businesses dependent on water use for their operations such as nurseries, hospitals, car washes and more are applicable.
Layton said Wichita Public Works staff will monitor accounts of excessive water users and send a warning letter if water use continues to be high throughout Stage 2 restrictions. If high water use continues after they receive a letter, water users will be levied a $50 penalty the next time they exceed their average winter consumption, and a $100 penalty for each subsequent violation. Consumers with water usage or drought concerns may report them on the Wichita Report app or by contacting the call center at (316) 942-4482.
Residents on well water or who use well water for irrigation are encouraged to continue to conserve water but are exempt from outdoor watering restrictions.
Layton said the city has been urging residents and businesses to reduce their water use by ten percent. He said people need to be water-conscious and think about how they’re using water day-in and day-out. He said the city is working to avoid going to Stage Three of the plan, which would ban all outdoor water use. Stage 3 would be considered if water levels within Cheney’s conservation pool reach a 12-month average of below 50%.
Layton said the city is not moving ahead with a rate increase for higher-volume water users, which was proposed last month. He said the city is going to the Stage Two restrictions to get an immediate impact, but rate increases may be considered in the future, depending on how the restrictions work over the next few months.
More information is available on the city’s web page savewichitawater.com, including tips on conservation.
