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Wichita City Council Approves Wastewater Recycling Pilot Program for Indirect Potable Reuse

City leaders in Wichita, Kansas, have approved an innovative wastewater recycling pilot project to advance long-term drought resilience. The program tests advanced purification steps to turn treated effluent into potable drinking water instead of discharging it to local waterways.

7/9/2026Source: Treatment Plant Operator Magazine

Wichita municipal officials approved a new pilot program designed to evaluate the conversion of treated wastewater effluent into safe tap water. The approval advances key initiatives originally outlined in the municipality's Water Reuse Master Plan to address severe regional drought conditions and support long-term water resource management.

Currently, Wichita's municipal public works division discharges treated municipal effluent directly into the Arkansas River. The pilot will evaluate secondary and tertiary effluent treatment trains, testing multi-barrier purification technologies including advanced oxidation and membrane filtration.

The demonstration facility will provide baseline water quality parameters and operational data required for state environmental permitting. If full deployment follows, Wichita would join a growing number of Midwest and Plains municipalities integrating water resource recovery directly into municipal drinking water portfolios.

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