MANHATTAN, Kan. — The formal phase public hearing to address the City of Wichita’s proposed modifications to Phase II of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project will resume in early February.
The hearing will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 3, and continue as needed on Feb. 4, Feb. 5, Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. The proceedings will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will end each day no later than 4:30 p.m., except on Feb. 5, when they will end at noon.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hearing will be held partially in person and partially virtually. In-person proceedings will take place at the Kansas Learning Center for Health in Halstead and will be open only to certain formal parties to the proceedings. The in-person hearing location will not be open to the public. The public will be able to view the hearing proceedings virtually using either Zoom or YouTube.
Officials with the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District in Halsted have been in opposition to the proposal because they feel it gives the city too much leeway without enough oversight as to how they take water from the aquifer, especially during drought.