Oaklawn did not enter into Wichita's water system until much later, but Sunview took advantage of the offer. On September 12, 1967, the City Commission approved extending 6,778 feet of 12-inch water lines along K-15 from Butler Drive to Sunview District in southeast Wichita. The contract was signed on September 19. On January 8, 1968, the main valve on the new city water main was turned and water was made available to the 185 homes in Sunview. Construction costs totalled $68,862 with the improvement district paying $20,740 of that amount.

Oaklawn tied into Wichita's system a decade later. In 1978 its ten wells began to run dry, causing inadequate water pressure. On September 21, 1978, Wichita began providing emergency water supply to the area, charging the customers the out-of-city rates. After ten months of emergency service, Oaklawn asked the city to take over its system altogether. The commission agreed to assume ownership of the system on July 31, 1979, but only if the Board of Directors agreed not to oppose annexation in the future. The system, valued at up to $300,000, would become part of Wichita's system, while Wichita would also assume the $25,000 debt incurred by the improvement district. The annexation clause caused some controversy as Richard Clausing, attorney for Oaklawn's Board of Directors, said it would make the board's acceptance more difficult. Especially, he said, because Wichita could annex without the district's approval since it was adjacent to Wichita. But the commission approved it anyway, in order to comply, according to the Beacon's report on July 31, 1979, with the "policy to provide water to areas within Wichita's growth area if and only if future annexation is unopposed." Oaklawn agreed to the contract and it was signed on September 18, 1979, allowing Wichita to take over full control on November 1.

While the districts up to this time had needed the city service, often agreeing to Wichita's demands, an inevitable conflict occurred when the city wanted to annex areas which opposed becoming part of the city. Such was the case with the Bel Aire Improvement District.

The district was located northeast of Wichita, north of 37th Street North, between Oliver and Woodlawn. When it formed in the mid-1950's it had planned to build its own sewer system, including a $150,000 treatment plant. Wichita asked the district to refrain from building to avoid a ring of sewage plants around the city. Instead, it wanted Bel Aire to connect to Wichita's system. On March 13, 1956, Bel Aire and Wichita formally agreed to connect the Bel Aire sanitary sewer system to Wichita's whenever the city extended its sewer mains to 29th and Oliver. In the meantime Bel Aire would build a temporary treatment facility instead of a sewage treatment plant. The agreement specified that Wichita would complete the work by March 1, 1958.

Because of slower expansion in that direction than anticipated, Wichita did not meet the 1958 deadline and for a number of years Bel Aire used a temporary lagoon system for sewage disposal, spending some $65,000 in construction and maintenance.

In the 1960's the temporary facilities reached a point where an alternative was necessary. Bel Aire, therefore, applied to the federal government for funds to extend its main sewer line to meet Wichita's.

The application for 30 percent funding was approved, but only if Wichita could provide assurance that the line could be hooked to its system. The district drew up a supplemental agreement to meet the demands and it was submitted to the City Commission on November 26, 1963. The agreement called for the city to extend its sewer lines to 29th and Oliver during 1964, with the district being allowed to construct a temporary line to the existing terminal a quarter of a mile west of Oliver if it desired. The $12 yearly user-fee per resident set up in the 1956 agreement was raised to $27 in the new contract.

Commissioner Carl Bell was not ready to support the agreement, however, saying that there should be "some kind of expression from the Board of Directors of the Bel Aire Improvement District that at such time as the area comprising the improvement district is legally annexable, that the Board of Directors will not oppose that annexation." The attorney representing the board, Grey Dressie, explained Bel Aire's situation, stating the Board of Directors had no power to be either for or against annexation. In order to review the contract, the matter was deferred one week.

On December 3, 1963, the matter was brought up again. After the details were explained, Bell moved that the agreement be approved and that the mayor be authorized to sign for the city. It carried unanimously. When questioned about his motion, Bell explained that he did not include a requirement concerning annexation since the record had been made clear the week before that the directors of the Bel Aire Improvement District, in so far as they had the power, had indicated that they would not oppose annexation when it became legal and feasible. Since that was on record, Bell said, there was no need to include it in the minutes. The work on the sewer was completed in 1964, and sewer service was provided beginning in early 1965.

Over the next ten years the service was provided and Bel Aire continued maintaining its own water system. As Wichita grew, more attention turned toward annexing the district eventually. The possibility was emphasized when the president of the board, Beverly Dunnings, sent a letter to the Wichita City Commission, dated July 12, 1979, asking for connection from their water system to that of Wichita for use in case of emergencies. The Water Department reviewed the request and on July 25, 1979, Wynkoop reported the project would be feasible, although among the conditions which would need to be considered would be an agreement on annexation for even temporary service. He went on to state, "Personally, I am opposed to providing Bel Aire emergency service on a permanent basis, since it does nothing for the city, and allows, for a relatively low cost, a small improvement district to solve some major problems." He added, "Since we are now providing a major municipal utility service (sewage treatment) to the district, and since there is now a request for even more, you may wish to look at the possibility of annexation." Finally, he concluded, "As a more palatable proposal to the department, I would suggest we offer to provide them with full city water service." As a result of the determination, the city refused to set up emergency connections. The next year a major disagreement broke between the two sides. (Water Department Files).

County Commissioner Don Gragg was quoted in the Park City Post on April 22, 1980, calling for Bel Aire and Park City to consolidate with