Over time, additional sewer and water contracts were based on individual circumstances, but most of the emphasis was placed on industries. On April 5, 1955, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 20-941 which established a more general policy. It provided that anyone could connect to the Wichita system, and it also established contracts for sewer service and treatment for outside users at standard rates of compensation. Users in the city paid no sewer charges, but instead the costs were borne by ad valorem property taxes, while out-of-city users paid directly for service.

The policy was clarified further on May 8, 1957, when the commission unanimously adopted a stand that "Out-of-city users will be charged a minimum fee calculated on a basis applicable alike to all such users and commensurate with costs paid by in-city users." (Water Department Files). With the added financial requirements of the secondary treatment facility and other system improvements, there was growing concern about maintaining proper rates. A special committee was appointed by the mayor on June 18, 1958, made up of city officials and outside-the-city industrial representatives to evaluate the problem of out-of-city sewer finances. Based on recommendations of the committee, the City Commission passed Ordinance 24-288 on March 24, 1959, which changed the fee from a fixed amount to one calculated from water usage. Each family dwelling was assessed a flat charge of $18 annually. Industrial and commercial charges were based on a formula which incorporated the budget for sewers and treatment, revenue from water sales, and the customer's water bill. A June 28, 1961, review of the ordinance by the city manager revealed that there were 702 residential out-of-city customers, 14 commercial customers, and ten industrial customers. Various small sewage treatment plants existed in surrounding areas which did not connect to the Wichita system.

The 1950's were crucial years for the city in its water and pollution crises. Extensions in outlying areas were reduced because of the water shortage and the state orders restricting sewer extensions. "The net result," Planning Director Robert Lakin wrote in a March 4, 1971, review of the situation, "was a multiplicity of water and sewer districts, each with their own independent source and treatment facilities, elevated tanks, etc...Often the system was substandard or built to a standard that was not compatible with the Wichita system which ultimately took it over." These conditions would affect Wichita's policies for years to come. (Beacon, 5/7/71).

Ray Drumm checks a meter reading.

In response to the need to expand water and sewer systems to wider areas, Wichita soon developed policies for extending services. By 1958, the city was turning toward future expansions and the City Commission began to examine its often diverse and unplanned policies. On May 7, 1958, Backstrom prepared the first report of a series to the commission on the subject of extension of municipal services outside of the city limits.

The report analyzed the main problems facing Wichita. "It cannot be denied," it read, "that many of the problems of Wichita, like every other central city in a metropolitan area, stem from the so-called fringe areas. For instance, traffic congestion is largely created by the morning invasion and the evening retreat of the suburbanites. Fringe areas need water and sewer service and yet are often reluctant to bear their full share of the cost of these services in which the citizens of Wichita have substantial capital investment." Backstrom also said the ability to meet the demand was the most important concern. "The major problem is one of capacity to serve; that is, whether or not the city's facilities for water and sewage are adequate to serve the city as well as the fringe areas. If, however, this ceases to be a problem, then determining the cost of furnishing the services to such areas becomes feasible." He also discussed sewer service charges for out-of-city consumers, but he concluded by emphasizing the importance of the issue to Wichita: "The city of Wichita has a vital interest in orderly development of the areas outside of the city because those areas will eventually be annexed and become part of the city. The city must be vitally interested in the health and safety of residents beyond its corporate limits." (City Managers Files).

In June, the commission took a step further in its deliberations and commissioned planning consultant Harold F. Wise to prepare a study on annexation policies for the city. Wise presented his report on November 4, 1958, arguing that to allow the fringe areas to grow around the city would only hurt Wichita in the long run by limiting its growth and area of influence. "The alternatives, stripped of passion and plea, are really relatively simple," he stated. "Either the city of Wichita has an active and aggressive and well-thought-through annexation policy and program or it determines to maintain its city limits at a point close to where they exist at the present time. A half-way policy of sporadic, intermittent or opportunistic annexation, annexing those who would like to be annexed because of their own personal interest and not annexing those who do not desire it because of their special interests is not a policy at all, and certainly not a policy that is grounded in the overall long-range public interest." Wise continued to argue forcefully for a policy of extensive annexation. (Eagle, 11/7/58).

Since 1945, some 20 improvement districts had been created in the Wichita metropolitan area to meet "specific problems arising out of urbanization." But, Wise contended, "continued use of special districts will complicate considerably the matter of city annexation, growth and development." In addition, the only fair way of distributing the cost equitably for providing city services was through strong annexation procedures. (Eagle, 11/7/58).

Based on his analysis, Wise developed a series of steps: first, state a clear policy of annexation, and provide services to urbanized areas; second, in order to implement the policy, annex all of the presently urbanized areas surrounding the city in an orderly and gradual basis until it is all within the city limits, and, third, develop a program of annexation as development takes place to insure that no isolated pockets of unincorporated territory exist around Wichita through which services would have to be provided. The final two steps encouraged new state legislation to allow the city to absorb improvement districts and to notify areas of the intent to annex one or two years in advance of development.

Wise clarified his views by saying, "It is my unequivocal belief that the city of Wichita must develop a clear cut, understandable, and definite