Mulvey still did not convince English, however, who maintained, "I want the cheapest with a guarantee of its working, in preference to no guarantee and same cost." To this, Councilman George Glaze added that, while a guarantee was good, there was too great a differential between the $150,000 system the city needed now, and the cost of the entire system required by the Pacific Sewer contract. Healy concluded the debate, arguing that Herring’s study was sufficient and that it did not need to be more in-depth to determine the necessary fail for the gravity system." He seemed to think it foolish to send to New York for a man to tell us water would run downhill," Healy cracked. (City Council Minutes).

The vote was finally taken, 7 to 2 in favor of the gravity system, with English and W.L. Johnson voting no. The headlines in the Eagle the following day read: "It's Named - And Will Be Known as the Gravity System - Lively Scenes in the Council Chambers with Clanking of Steel - Of the Longest Sessions on Record..."

To spur the construction of the sewer, additional motions were passed before the meeting adjourned. The city engineer was authorized to draw up plans and specifications for all the main sewers recommended by Herring, and to give a detailed estimate of cost as well as to define potential sewer districts which could be placed into an ordinance. The discussion on sewerage finally ended with the authorization for perforated manhole covers. Nearly two hours of debate had occurred in reaching the historic decisions on how Wichita would be sewered.

Further action to develop the system was taken at the May 28 meeting. After voting down a motion to adopt an interconnected sewerage network and another one to set up a committee for planning the locations of the sewers, the council approved construction of three distinct and separate sewer systems to be built between Fifth Avenue and the Arkansas River. The city engineer was to make an accurate and legal estimate of the costs, and the city attorney to draw up the necessary ordinance to provide for the districts. These decisions did not stand long, however.

In a special session on sewerage matters held on May 31, 1888, the motion establishing three separate sewers was reconsidered. The council instead followed the advice of the engineer and adopted the location plan of Herring, with the main outlet running down Hydraulic Avenue. All territory between Lawrence and Hydraulic Avenues north to 22nd Street was to be included in the sewerage system. But this decision would also soon change as the engineer prepared his plans.

Discussions and meetings followed in the ensuing weeks with little actually accomplished. On June 25, the council encountered major difficulties in implementing the plan. Mulvey had prepared the estimates for the large brick outlet sewer into which all sewers would empty, to be located on Harry Street instead of Hydraulic Avenue, and he encouraged the city to contract separately for its construction.

Buckridge moved to advertise for the job, after Judge Campbell confirmed that separate contracts could be let, but he received no second. A lengthy discussion ensued on whether, after one sewer district had been constructed, a future district which would drain into the main outlet could be assessed a share of the original cost of the outlet. Mulvey had received a letter from the city clerk of Topeka, Kansas, attesting to the fact that in Topeka the law would not permit it, but Campbell felt Wichita had the necessary legislative authority to provide for one sewer district to drain into another one. No conclusion was reached. The outlet itself would be three feet in diameter, 15,555 1/2 feet long, and would cost $41,858.45.

The council followed this with a long discussion on securing the necessary rights-of-way for the sewers and authorized the Sewer and Drainage Committee to obtain the names of the land owners to prevent any delays.

At the July 9 meeting of the council, Mulvey presented his plans and estimates. The proposed district to be sewered would be bounded on the west by Wichita Street, south of Douglas Avenue and east almost to Chisolm Creek, south to Harry Street. North of Douglas, the east fine would extend two blocks west of Chisolm Creek. One main would service a strip two blocks wide leading north of the stockyards and the Dold packing houses. A total of five mains would be constructed, running parallel north to south. Each main would run through the alley or the center of the block, located three blocks apart, with the laterals running north and south in the alleys not occupied by the mains. All of the mains would eventually empty into a large sewer placed east to west along Harry Street to the Santa Fe tracks, from which the sewer would continue to the point of discharge at the river. The entire system would be about 80 miles in length, costing an estimated $381,831. Adding the costs of engineering and other expenditures, excluding the rights-of-way, the total would swell to $420,000.

Much talk was aroused by the lengthy report, with a push for proceeding at once with the work. The objection was raised that it would not be feasible to begin until the rights-of-way and condemnation proceedings had been completed. After reviewing an opinion by Judge Campbell, stating that the city could move ahead, Buckridge energetically suggested the contracts be advertised at once, with the engineer furnishing the estimates. A decision was deferred instead, with a special meeting planned to allow for full concentration on the sewer matter.

The following day the council officially approved the location of the first sewer district. After a motion to sewer only part of the area initially failed 4 to 5, and following considerable haggling, the council passed most of Mulvey's plan calling for sewering an area bounded on the west by Waco Street, on the east by Washington Avenue, on the north by 17th Street and on the south by Harry Street. One main would extend north to include the Dold packing houses. The city attorney was authorized to prepare the ordinance, and Wichita was on its way to a sewer system.

Locations and methods of payment for the sewers were discussed by the council on July 12. Judge Campbell expressed that the best way to chart the location of the sewer was to condemn the alleys through the lots traversed, thus keeping the sewers on city property. Judge H.C. Sluss was subsequently appointed by the City Council as consulting counsel in the sewerage problem for the city. He informed the council that even though a property owner in a sewer district did not connect with the sewer, he could still be taxed, thus creating special assessments. The council again debated the location of the sewers and a motion on specific locations passed.

While the sewer system had been selected, a decision had not yet been made on flushing the pipes. The Sewer Committee considered the question in a meeting on July 25 called expressly to discuss the issue. Buckridge had just returned from St. Louis and, based on the information he had received, recommended a pumping station to fill the need. That motion was approved. The proposal would place pumps at the north end of the sewer where drive wells would be sunk near the Little Arkansas River. The committee also acted to accelerate securing the rights-of-way,