Wichita, Kan. — A citywide boil water advisory affecting approximately 500,000 water customers remained in effect Wednesday morning after a power outage and subsequent backup generator failure at Wichita’s primary water treatment plant triggered a loss of pressure across the distribution system.
Cause: Backup Generator Failure at Aging Plant
Wichita Public Works Director Gary Janzen confirmed during an 8:30 a.m. press conference at City Hall that the advisory originated with a power outage at the city’s current water treatment plant, a facility more than 80 years old. The plant was operating on backup generators following Tuesday night’s storms, but those generators failed for reasons still under investigation.
Janzen emphasized that the failure was not due to an issue with the plant infrastructure itself. City staff are working to identify why the backup generators failed. Water sampling is the top priority as crews work to resolve the issue, though officials cannot yet provide a timeline for when the advisory might be lifted.
The city has taken over operation of its new water treatment plant, but that facility is not scheduled to go online until the second quarter of 2027.
School Closures Impact Elementary Students
The widespread impact includes Wichita Public Schools. USD 259 announced Wednesday morning that no classes would be held for elementary schools with a 9 a.m. start time.
No school for any 9 a.m. start WPS elementary schools today, Wednesday, Sept. 16, due to the boil water advisory. Students at latchkey at these schools will need to be picked up as soon as possible. Determinations about Sept. 17 and after-school events will be made when more information is available.Schools that are already in session and 9 a.m. secondary start schools will continue as normal.
Secondary schools with 9 a.m. starts and schools already in session will continue as normal. Decisions regarding Thursday, Sept. 17, and after-school activities will be made once more information is available.
Official Precautions for Residents
The City of Wichita advised that with the advisory, its water customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:
- Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
- Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
- Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
Bathing and Health Guidance
Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
Advisory Rescind Process
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
The City will provide regular updates on the boil advisory but cannot provide a time when the advisory will be rescinded at this time.
Contact Information
For consumer questions, contact the City of Wichita at (316) 265-1300, or KDHE at (785) 296-5514. For consumer information, visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: http://www.kdheks.gov/pws/emergencyresponse/water_disruption.htm.
Restaurants and other food establishments with questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.
Early Morning Reports
Residents on the east and west sides of Wichita reported lowered or lost water pressure early Wednesday morning. As of 6 a.m., city officials confirmed work was underway to address the widespread problem. By 6:15 a.m., the city had not yet identified the source of the pressure loss. Viewers from across the city contacted 12 News reporting the issue, though the exact number of impacted customers was initially unclear.
