Aquifer storage and recovery program remedies Wichita's groundwater problems

摘要

Compared with many cities in the water-starved western United States, Wichita, Kan., is in an enviable position—it has water well into this century because of a unique approach to recharging the aquifer that supplies its water. Since the 1940s, Wichita has relied heavily on the bountiful and conveniently located Equus Beds Aquifer for its municipal water supply. The aquifer spans four Kansas counties and covers 1,400 square miles, which is slightly more than the combined area within the city limits of New York, N.Y., Los Angeles, Calif., and Houston, Texas. The Equus Beds Aquifer has provided 60% of Wichita's water supply for more than 50 years (City of Wichita, 2000). The aquifer's importance throughout the largely rural south-central Kansas region cannot be overestimated. Wichita provides water for 410,000 people within a 186-square-mile service area that has an average water demand of 66 mgd (HDR, 2010). Through a network of 55 wells and 70 miles of pipeline, the Equus Beds well field offers Wichita the potential transmission capacity of up to 78 mgd (Burns & McDonnell, 2000).