On August 31, the first steps were taken to implement the new water system. At 5:27 p.m. Alfred MacDonald and Milford Rogers turned the master valve to let the water from the Equus Beds into the pipeline and on to the filter plant for treatment before being piped to city mains. After the 25-mile trip from Halstead, the water was flowing at the rate of 300,000 gallons an hour, with the wells in the field pumping at a combined capacity of 1,000,000 gallons per hour. According to the Eagle, the spectacular effect when the water gushed into the treating area from the huge 48-inch pipe "marked a successful climax to the 70-year ambition of this city to secure a good supply of soft water." (Eagle, 9/1/40).

The following day, Sunday, September 1, 1940, soft water actually arrived in Wichita homes. Some 100 people were on hand for the ceremony, including the city commissioners, various city and county officials, members of the Chamber of Commerce and its Soft Water Committee and private citizens. At 3 p.m., the Eagle reported, MacDonald explained the process and then the buttons were pushed by Mayor Corn's daughters, Barbara (three-years-old) and Sharon (18 months). "They stepped forward, pushed the buttons on the control board, a bell rang, valves were released, and the water poured with a roar into the filtration plant," stated a September 2, 1940, Eagle article. The effect of the previous night was thus repeated for the media and others. The Water Company reservoir had been allowed to become nearly empty, so that in only a few hours the new supply was reaching the farthest ends of the city, although three million gallons of the old water remained in the mains be be flushed out.

In the first few hours, the water earned complaints of a bitter taste. Following a check and a reduction in the chlorine content it "was declared to be excellent." (Eagle, 9/5/40). Minor details were finished before the formal dedication later in the month.

A Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Innes Tea Room on September 26 launched the dedication which honored civic leaders who had supported the lengthy battle for the soft water supply. More than 100 people were present, most claiming to have had some official connection with the movement. Rogers gave a demonstration on the improved use of soap from the soft water, and glasses of both the old and the new water were set in front of each plate.

A variety of speakers reviewed the water project. A.N. Booth, the general manager of the Chamber of Commerce, recounted the 20-year campaign for soft water in the city, acknowledging a number of individuals for their involvement. Called a "one man gang," (Eagle, 9/27/40), William L. Ainsworth was credited by Booth for being the instigator of Wichita's soft water from the Equus Beds in 1920. Raymond C. Moore, the state geologist, was praised as well for his participation. Both were present to hear the accolades. During the administration of the late Earle Evans, in 1922, the first Chamber of Commerce action had been initiated when the hiring of a competent engineer for the surveying of potential sources of water was urged. Under Will G. Price, after Evans, L.L. Maxey had been named chairman of the first soft water committee.

The effort had continued until the bond election of 1938 finally approved the project, under Chairman D.L. Jackman. Mayor Elmer Corn, Commissioners T. Walker Weaver, Schuyler Crawford, H.D. Cottman, Frank Coleman and John Dotson and City Managers Bert Wells and Alfred MacDonald were recognized for their roles in the approval and completion of the project.

Finally, Booth recalled the coordination and leadership by the Chamber of Commerce as well as the support of nearly all civic and other clubs in Wichita.

While some speakers commented on the city's enhanced attractiveness, others viewed the health perspective. The Chamber's beautification committee chairman, Lorentz Schmidt, hailed the new supply as a significant addition to the city's beauty. J.D. Wolfe, director of the city's Health Department, pointed out that for the first time in 58 years Wichita could boast of a water supply meeting all of the standards of the U.S. Public Health Service. He added, "The water is protected from pollution, is adequately treated, it is proven that it cannot be a source of disease, and that harmful elements are present only in very minor quantities." Finally Nestor Weigand, a Wichita real estate broker, proclaimed the new supply might be "the greatest factor in contributing to a new era in the growth of the city, the like of which we have never seen." (Eagle, 9/27/40).

The actual dedication of the completed project took place at 3 p.m. on September 29, 1940, at the filter plant. The official program consisted of an opening band concert by the Wichita Civic Band, headed by Duff Middleton; invocation by Reverend Ray E. Snodgrass, pastor of the Central Christian Church, and a member of the Soft Water Committee; and the address and dedication by Mayor Corn. After the mayor's address, a number of other individuals spoke, including J.0. Wilson, president of the Wichita Independent Businessmen's Association; Will G. Price, representing the Chamber of Commerce; John Kirkwood, former head of the Wichita Soft Water Committee; W.D. Swanson, PWA's resident engineer inspector, and R.E. Lawrence of Black and Veatch, Following the formal presentation, MacDonald conducted a public inspection of the filter plant.

A telegram from PWA Commissioner E.W. Clark was received prior to the ceremony on September 24. It read, "The PWA is gratified at learning of the dedication of the water supply system, a project of so much usefulness to the people and the city and of such economic value to your city. This project is a permanent monument to a public spirited citizenry and a lasting token of the benefits of cooperation between the federal government and the community. I congratulate the city of Wichita on a splendid job well done." The Eagle covered the story of the completion of the system and its dedication and carried a long history of the project. It said, "Wichita has converted a dream of 70 years into a thing of present. The easiest course would have been to follow the old, tried and true pattern of water supply systems. City Commissioners of Wichita had an entirely different view. They knew it meant hard work, a lot of work, but they set out to honestly fulfill their obligation to citizens, to create a new water system, one designed for Wichita alone. A book could be written about the Wichita new water supply system. New principles were used, cast iron history was made...the first time in history 48-inch diameter cement-lined cast-iron pipe was used...Putting together a system as this requires combined skill representing a total of thousands of years experience...Wichita today has truly 'tailor-made' water." After years of struggle, conflict, and controversy the new supply for Wichita was complete and in operation, and for the first time in the history of the city, soft water was available. (Eagle, 9/29/40).

Despite the accomplishments of the city in attaining a new water supply, the relationship between the city and the Water Company had not