WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita officials are working to get local businesses to consider manufacturing uses for treated sewer water the city would otherwise dump into the Arkansas River.
The Wichita Eagle reports city officials want Wichita’s big commercial water users to use treated sewer water in the manufacturing process. Alan King, city public works director, says commercial use of gray water is part of the city’s long-range water conservation plan.
He says rate structure and infrastructure are the two major challenges for using gray water, because switching some large customers to cheaper gray water would mean the city would lose some revenue.
So until growth catches back up, the city would have to find ways to not pass on the cost to ratepayers.