The Wichita City Council approved a total of $22.5 million in funding for water and sewer main improvements next year.
$4 million will go toward water main projects at Douglas, from Seneca to Meridian, West Street from MacArthur to I-235 and 143rd Street West from Harry to Kellogg.
Another $4 million will help assess and repair large water distribution lines around the city, which have been prone to failure not only in Wichita but other parts of the country as well.
Gary Janzen with public works says the city has roughly 28 miles of pipeline made by a particular company during the 1960s and 1970s that are in need of inspection and repair.
A 42" water line failed in October 2021 near I-135 and 21st Street, and resulted in a boil water advisory for the city.
The council also discussed remote work along with improvements for some Wichita Public Library locations.
If you're a city employee who works remotely, you now won't have to live within a 30-minute drive of the city. The council amended city policy to expand the resident requirements to within the state of Kansas.
The city's public library system will see several improvements in 2024. The council approved just over $3.9 million that will fund renovations at Alford, Maya Angelou Northeast, and Rockwell Library. The latter will see $2.5 million in renovations, including a 4500 square-foot expansion on the north side of building to increase the children's space and the fiction and non-fiction areas.