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City considers own water source
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: April 07, 2016

Valley Center could rely solely on itself for potable water.

The Valley Center City Council voted April 5 to redrill two of its water wells and rehabilitate the third and appeared warm to the idea of constructing a water treatment plant in the future.

The move would decrease Valley Center's reliance on Wichita for water and protect local water customers from ever-increasing rate hikes that are out of the city's control.

"I think it's important to look at the long-term picture here," Mayor Laurie Dove said.

The city currently purchases potable water from Wichita and sells it to residential and commercial customers in Valley Center. The city also sells untreated water from its three wells to Wichita — at a fraction of what it pays Wichita for treated water. The two cities are coming to the end of a 20-year contract. During the past two decades, the rate Valley Center pays Wichita for water has dramatically increased — from 75 cents per 1,000 gallons to $2.33 in 2016. At the same time, the rate Wichita pays for Valley Center's untreated water has remained 31 cents per 1,000 gallons.

Professional Engineering Consultants presented an exhaustive study of the city's water usage and rates. The study also looked at the cost of constructing a water treatment facility, an idea the council has looked at in the past but never moved forward with.

The council's options include constructing a smaller plant to use in conjunction with Wichita water, which would offset the more expensive Tier 2 rates, or building a larger plant to handle all of the city's water needs. Options ranged from $3.5 million to $4.8 million.

Council members appeared open to all options. More detailed proposals will be presented to the council after the city finishes negotiating a new contract with Wichita.

For now, the city will move forward with improvements to its own water wells. That process could take more than a year, depending on how difficult it will be to obtain state permits.

Because of aging equipment, two of the city's wells are running below 20 percent capacity, limiting the amount of water it can pump to Wichita and sell.

With improved performance, the city stands to gain more revenue.

Cost of the well improvements are about $285,000.

"You need to do the wells at a very minimum," said George Kolb, interim city administrator.

In other business April 5, the council:

•Held a public hearing on special assessments to help pay for a waterline in the south part of the city and road improvements in the Valley Creek subdivision. The council voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance setting the specials.

•Voted 4-3 to expand a part-time administrative assistant position to a full-time position that also would include the duties of a director of senior services. Dale Kerstetter, Gina Gregory and Al Hobson voted against the proposal. Kerstetter and Gregory wanted the full-time position to start with the 2017 budget year. Hobson supported a senior services director position, but voted against the full-time job.

•Voted 7-0 to move forward with a project to construct a walking path in the Emporia median between Main and Fifth. The project is receiving state funds. It could start in the fall.

•Met in executive session for 10 minutes to discuss possible land acquisition. No decisions were made.





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