Wichita Water Utilities promotes a voluntary odd-even address watering schedule and discourages midday irrigation. Mandatory restrictions only activate during declared drought stages tied to Cheney Reservoir levels.
The city draws drinking water from Cheney Reservoir and the Equus Beds Aquifer. Under normal conditions residents may irrigate any day, though staff recommend before 10am and after 6pm to reduce evaporation. The city has a Drought Response Plan with Stage 1 voluntary, Stage 2 odd-even mandatory, and Stage 3 strict restrictions including no lawn watering. Stage activations are infrequent but did occur during 2012 to 2014 drought. Sprinkler-on-sidewalk water waste is treated as a minor utility violation. Wichita is also the lead governmental member of the Equus Beds Groundwater Recharge project, a significant aquifer storage program.
Stage 2 violations carry warnings then escalating utility surcharges of 25 to 100 dollars. Persistent waste during Stage 3 may result in service curtailment.
Wichita, KS
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Wichita, KS
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