Wichita Boil Water Advisory Affects 500,000 Customers After Power Outage at Aging Treatment Plant

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — The City of Wichita issued a boil water advisory Wednesday morning affecting approximately 500,000 water customers following a loss of water pressure tied to a power outage at the city’s main water treatment plant.

Cause: Backup Generators Failed During Storms

Wichita Public Works Director Gary Janzen confirmed that the advisory originated with a power outage at the city’s current water treatment plant and the Hess pump station. The more-than-80-year-old facility had been running on backup generators after Tuesday night’s storms, but the generators failed for reasons city staff are still investigating.

Janzen emphasized that the generator failure was not an issue with the plant infrastructure itself, though the age of the facility has raised questions about the city’s water system resilience.

Widespread Impact Across Wichita

Residents on the east and west sides of Wichita experienced lowered or lost water pressure early Wednesday morning. As of 6 a.m., city officials confirmed work was underway to address the problem, though the exact source had not yet been identified at that time.

The advisory follows widespread reports from viewers across the city who experienced water pressure issues. While the precise number of affected customers remains under assessment, the city estimates roughly 500,000 water customers are impacted.

Precautions: Boil Water Before Use

The City of Wichita advised customers to 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 food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water containing one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.

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.

Infrastructure Concerns: Aging Plant, New Facility Years Away

The city’s current water treatment plant is over 80 years old. Wichita has taken over operation of a new water treatment plant, but the new facility is not scheduled to go online until the second quarter of 2027 — raising questions about long-term reliability of the aging system.

School Closures and Business Impacts

USD 259 closed all elementary schools with 9 a.m. start times for Wednesday, Sept. 16. Students in latchkey programs at affected schools were urged to be picked up as soon as possible. Schools already in session and 9 a.m. secondary start schools continued as normal. Determinations about Sept. 17 and after-school events will be made when more information becomes available.

Restaurants and food establishments with questions about the advisory’s impact can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety and lodging program at kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.

How the Advisory Will Be Lifted

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced the advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory. The city will provide regular updates but cannot specify when the advisory will be lifted.

The City of Wichita held a press conference concerning the water issue at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall. Updates were expected as testing and repairs progressed.

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