As drought conditions continue to impact Cheney Reservoir, the City of Wichita’s Drought Response Plan is helping to protect the long-term public water supply for 17% of all Kansans. Strategic utilization of the City’s two primary water sources and a collaborative public approach to conservation are at the forefront of the response efforts. The innovative Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project and Wichita Water Works, the City’s new state of the art water treament facility, are vital to long-term drought management and resiliency.
> Gary joined the City of Wichita in 1995, becoming the Director of Public Works & Utilities in March, 2023. He served as the City Engineer for eleven years prior to his appointment as the Director, and now oversees a department of more than 700 employees with an annual operating budget of $260 million. Gary has a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University and serves on the following boards: Kansas Society of Professional Engineers, Independent Living Resource Center, and Equus Beds Groundwater Management District 2. He was appointed to the Kansas Water Authority by Governor Kelly in 2023, and is Chair of the Valley Center Planning Commission.
