DWR Currents

March 15, 2010


Horizontal Collector Wells
Most cities and other public water suppliers in eastern Kansas draw from surface water sources.  Surface water intakes can be difficult to manage as they are susceptible to variations in water levels, channel changes, freezing, debris, suspended sediment and, in some locations, zebra mussels.

To overcome these difficulties, alluvial wells are sometimes used instead of surface water intakes.  However, large utilities require many millions of gallons of water per day for public water supplies and, with relatively shallow alluvial aquifers, it may take dozens of vertical wells to meet demand.

Some suppliers are finding that horizontal collector wells are the answer.

Horizontal collector wells typically consist of a concrete caisson (watertight, large-diameter tube) extending vertically into the aquifer, with horizontal screened laterals arranged in a radial pattern near the bottom of the caisson.  Atop the caisson sits a pump house with an intake pipe extending down into the caisson.  As water is pumped from the caisson, a hydraulic gradient draws water from the aquifer through the laterals.  The alluvial aquifer is in turn replenished with induced recharge from the river.

Right: An illustration of a horizontal collector well (courtesy of Ranney® Collector Wells).  Click here for a larger image of the illustration.

Currently there are 10 horizontal collector wells used in public water supplies in Kansas.  All the radial horizontal collector wells—operated by the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, City of Olathe, or Water District No. 1 in Johnson County (WaterOne)—are located in the Kansas River alluvium or Missouri River alluvium.  There is also a single-bore horizontal well serving the City of Severy in southeast Kansas and one serving the City of Overland Park.

Another proposed radial-type horizontal collector well was recently approved by Chief Engineer David Barfield as part of the City of Olathe’s plan to accommodate their projected growth over the next 20-plus years.  Barfield approved two water appropriation permits (one for surface water and one for groundwater) and an associated floodplain fill permit for a new horizontal collector well and pump house proposed by the City of Olathe in the Kansas River alluvium.  

These permits authorize withdrawal of an additional 2.4 billion gallons per year (7,300 acre-feet per year).  Site-specific modeling indicated that approximately 96 percent of the authorized quantity will be drawn from surface water induced into the aquifer and approximately 4 percent from naturally occurring groundwater.

The water rights are included in the Kansas River Water Assurance District and are supported by district storage in upstream reservoirs, if needed during low-flow conditions.


New DWR History Web Page
The Division of Water Resources is proud to announce its newly developed DWR History web page.  Content includes an events timeline from 1854 through present, profiles of the five chief engineers since DWR’s inception in 1927, and historical documents and photographs.  More documents and photographs will be added on an ongoing basis.

The web page provides access to a growing collection of digital and scanned records on various aspects of Kansas water resources.  This information may be of general interest to the public and serve as reference material for students and professionals.

“We celebrated DWR’s 80th anniversary in 2007 and began gathering historical items for this collection,” said David Barfield, chief engineer of the Division of Water Resources.  “In managing the state’s water resources, it’s important for us to understand how water was used in the past, how land use changes over time can affect our water supplies, and how water law has evolved.  The web page allows us to store and instantly retrieve historical information with a few clicks of the mouse, preserving and sharing important and interesting items that provide background and context for today’s pressing issues.”

If you have suggestions for content for the DWR History web page, including any documents or images about the history of Kansas water resources, please contact Paul Graves at paul.graves@kda.ks.gov.


Legislative Update
The House concurred with the conference committee report on House Bill 2283 (rural water district annexation), so the bill will now go to the governor.  This is the bill that previously contained language prohibiting the chief engineer from initiating an intensive groundwater use control area in a groundwater management district without the district’s request.  The IGUCA language was removed from the bill.

Senate Bill 574 has also been introduced, and it would establish in the state treasury an interstate water litigation fund to be administered by the attorney general.

View last week’s legislative summary for more information about other water resource bills being tracked by DWR.


Upcoming Events

• March 16: GMD 1 board meeting and annual meeting (Scott City). Chief Engineer Barfield will attend.
• April 6: Basics of National Flood Insurance Program training (Belleville)
• April 7: Hearings on proposed amendments to water appropriation regulations (Topeka – with teleconference stations at Garden City, Halstead, Stafford and Stockton)
• April 20-23: Culvert, Drainage and Levee Maintenance workshops by Kansas University Transportation Center (Colby, Hays, McPherson and Junction City)
• April 21: Hearing on proposed water bank regulation amendment (Topeka)
• May 6: Substantial Damage Estimation class (Lyons)
• May 13: How to Read a Flood Map training (Bonner Springs)

For more information about these and other upcoming events, please check our events listings.