The leaking primary pipe at the main water treatment plant has not worsened overnight, City of Wichita officials said at a Friday morning news conference.
Operations at the plant are normal, water supply remains safe and sufficient and customers are not affected at this time, Alan King, Director of Public Works & Utilities said.
City crews are continuously monitoring the leak by security cameras and on-site inspections. The public will be notified immediately should conditions change, King said.
Crews are expanding to capacity to an existing 24” bypass pipe that can carry water into the treatment plant, away from the leaking portion of the primary pipe, which is underground. Right now, the City is working with an engineering firm to design the bypass and procure the fittings, piping and other material needed to construct it.
Following a Thursday evening news conference regarding the leaking primary pipe, utility crews worked through the night to excavate a small portion of the site. That allowed crews to verify the materials needed to finish the bypass design. Survey crews were also on site gathering elevation data. Their work was finished around 5 a.m. this morning.
Today, work will continue on finalizing the bypass design. The City also will meet with a process engineer to determine whether any additional steps are necessary in the treatment process when using the bypass.
Once the bypass design is completed, City staff will provide an update to the media on the final plan for construction.
