WICHITA, Kansas (KWCH) – More than two weeks mandatory water restrictionsThe city of Wichita, which has implemented these measures, does not answer the question that other cities with the same restrictions are answering: “Where are we?”

The City of Wichita has taken action to respond to the ongoing decline in water levels in Cheney Lake. Cheney Lake is one of Wichita’s primary water sources.

When it comes to providing updates on the progress of water conservation efforts, Wichita remains silent, while surrounding cities that are Wichita water customers release their numbers.

“We want to be transparent and make sure they know,” said Dan Bronson, deputy city manager of Derby, Wichita’s largest water customer.

The City of Derby wants to make sure people know whether their water conservation efforts are making a difference. The numbers show they are.

Within two weeks, people in Derby reduced their consumption by 44%.

“We weren’t expecting it to be this high, so we’re very excited about it,” Bronson said.

The city of Wichita has imposed water restrictions starting August 5. This order will spread throughout the metropolitan area. Other cities that get their water from Wichita are also noticing a difference.

Water usage in Park City dropped 50% in the first two weeks of restrictions, and in Bel Aire, 20%. Rose Hill did not have a percentage number, but city officials said 18 to 20 usage notices were issued that resulted in usage reductions.

For Wichita, however, this data remains a mystery. FactFinder has asked the City of Wichita several times for information on how residents are coping with the restrictions. We currently have no answer. Each time we asked, the city said the data would not be available until the end of the month.

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