Wichita’s ambitious new water treatment plant—the city’s largest public works project ever at approximately $500 million—won’t be operational by year’s end due to mechanical problems with critical equipment, officials announced Wednesday.
The facility’s builder, Wichita Water Partners (WWP), informed city officials of mechanical failures affecting the plant’s clarifiers, which are responsible for removing suspended solids during the treatment process. According to the city, these clarifiers rank among the largest in the nation.
This marks the second delay in 2025 alone. The city had originally planned to assume control of the plant after testing in April, but that timeline was pushed to December. Now, completion has been delayed indefinitely beyond 2025…