Services provided by the P.U.R.E. Team include on-site public presentations, by Utilities' employees, who share information about their respective water and sewer infrastructure and efficient water use projects. Upon request, a team member, from any of the Utilities' seven divisions, is available to present at your school, civic group, business, or church. Read the brief synopsis for each presentation below and request a speaker, today, for your next community event by filling out the online P.U.R.E. Speaker Request Form.

Four Presentation Titles

"The ASR Project - Preserving Our Water...Our Future"

The Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project is nationally acclaimed and an award-winning project, that is setting a precedent for other municipalities to follow suit.  Securing future water sources is an intriguing topic and one that is important to us all.  This presentation is designed to address Phase II of the ASR Project and will provide you with the latest information on the award-winning project. 

During the past decade, the City of Wichita in south-central Kansas has examined the future of our principal sources of public water supply - the Equus Beds Aquifer and Cheney Reservoir. City planners found that the water-use appropriations in place for these two sources during the 1980's, if continued, would result in insufficient water to meet the expected needs of the City of Wichita beyond 2010.

Changes in water-management practices, which resulted from a 1992 study of the area's water resources and water use by the City of Wichita (Warren et al., 1995), have already shown promising results in extending the longevity of the future local sources of water. Sustainability of the resources is important for the entire area, including agricultural and municipal water needs.

"Water is Life and Infrastructure Makes it Happen^TM"

The Wichita Water Utilities partners with a National Awareness Campaign entitled, "Water is Life and Infrastructure Makes it Happen^TM." Presenters give an overview of the Utilities and show how much the Utilities actually does in the course of a year. Always exhibiting conviction and enthusiasm, presenters share with the audience the Vision and Mission of Water Utilities 24 hour-seven day operations.

Ensuring Efficient Infrastructure is one of five primary goals chosen by Wichita's City Council to better serve our citizens, produce the results our citizens want, and to promote excellence among City employees. Wichita Water Utilities support this goal, by making the replacement, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the city's aging infrastructure a priority.

"What Are We Putting In Our Water?"

Rebecca Gagnon-Lewis Caroline Hosford

Historically, surplus and expired medications were commonly disposed of through sanitary sewer systems. However, research has found medications and their byproducts in ground and surface waters, suggesting that this disposal method is not completely effective in preventing contamination. Though Wastewater Treatment Systems reduce the concentrations of the medications introduced into the sewer system, they are not designed to totally eliminate medications and their byproducts. You can minimize impacts to the ecosystem by simply disposing of your unwanted or expired medications with other hazardous wastes at the Sedgwick County Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 801 Stillwell - never flush unwanted medications down the toilet or sink!  See the article below:

• AMERICAN CITY&COUNTY - The Next Drug Problem 
• Steps to Proper Disposal

Rebecca Gagnon-Lewis, a Supervisor at the Wichita Water Utilities Sewage Treatment Facility, presents, "What are we Putting in our Water?" Proper disposal of Pharmaceutical & Personal Care Products (PPCPs) is the crux of this presentation.

Caroline Hosford, the Environmental Training Specialist for Sedgwick County's Department of Environmental Resources, gives a presentation that reiterates the "be safe, be aware" environmental message. Caroline passes out brochures about the Sedgwick County Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 801 Stillwell and gives handy tips for disposing of dangerous items such as diabetics' used needles. She encourages citizens to take a proactive approach in caring for themselves and for our environment.

"Efficient Water Use"
In the good old days, Wichitans used water carefully and sparingly. Water had to be carried from shallow wells, cisterns or nearby streams. Today, with the turn of a tap, an abundance of high quality, inexpensive water is available instantly. Because of this convenience, many of us have formed wasteful habits of "running" water without using it. Tomorrow, conservative consumption will be the way of life. In some areas, there are already water shortages.

Public Service Announcements (PSA)

Public Service Announcements at the radio station KYQQ are done on a quarterly basis. The Water Utilities rotate with other City of Wichita departments to share pertinent news with our Spanish Speaking Community.

KYQQ's Arnoldo and Maria

Mary and Maria

The above pictures were taken at the KYQQ Radio Station. Maria pauses long enough to pose for this picture with KYQQ's Arnoldo, the fastest speaking DJ around! Mary and Maria return, in the third quarter of 2007, with additional information. ¡Excelente trabajo!