Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, with a population of approximately 400,000 people, and a 105 million gallon/day (MGD) water system.  The water supply is a combination of surface water (Cheney Reservoir) and groundwater (Equus Beds aquifer).  Drought is a continued seasonal problem for the city, and improving resiliency for a major drought is a priority.  As part of the city mandate, Northwater was retained through a competitive bidding process to evaluate Wichita’s groundwater supply and municipal consumption, and present tools and strategies to support informed water supply investments.  The primary activities included:

• Water balance model to evaluate availability and quantity of renewable groundwater resources
• Water audit of Wichita’s municipal water supply, and spatial model of water consumption
• Statistical analysis to spatially map irrigation water demand for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional users
• GIS-based modeling and analysis of irrigation intensity throughout the City
• Modeling of water conservation strategies and scenarios to support the City in making informed planning and policy decisions
• Dynamic and spatially explicit toolbox model to evaluate water planning scenarios and make forecasts