Drought Resilience Workshop
Drought Resilience Workshop
August 13, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM (CT)
Wichita City Hall
1st Floor Boardroom
455 N. Main
Wichita, KS 67202
This is a free event sponsored by WRF and hosted by the City of Wichita Public Works and Utilities Department.
Registration is required and seating is limited to 50 attendees.
This half-day workshop will bring together City staff, water utility professionals, and regional leaders to explore actionable strategies for managing demand and promoting conservation behavior.
With Stage 2 drought conditions in effect and further drought possible, the City of Wichita’s Public Works and Utilities Department is convening a half-day workshop to explore how water utilities can move beyond short-term fixes and establish lasting conservation strategies. While current efforts such as a long-standing rebate program and targeted drought messaging have delivered results, customer engagement tends to wane once immediate conditions improve, particularly in residential outdoor use areas. As Wichita prepares to bring a new water plant online in 2025 and explores alternative supply planning, this workshop will support utility staff in identifying long-term solutions that stick.
The day begins with a utility overview and lessons learned from Wichita’s current conservation programs. Expert presentations will follow, focused on understanding demand and end use, pinpointing the most impactful conservation opportunities, and designing strategic communications that resonate with customers over time. The core of the workshop features a series of utility case studies highlighting real-world experiences with conservation programs, technologies, outreach campaigns, and enforcement strategies—what worked, what didn’t, and how lessons learned can be applied across different contexts. The event will close with a panel discussion and key takeaways to guide future planning.
Join us for a practical and forward-thinking conversation on how to build conservation programs that last beyond the drought stage.
WRF Resources
Drought Management
· 4546: Drought Management in a Changing Climate: Using Cost-Benefit Analyses to Assist Drinking Water Utilities, 2015 (Public Plus) including an Example Cost-Benefit Analysis for Evaluating Drought Management Practices for a Fictional Utility
· 4640: Managing Drought: Learning From Australia, 2016 (Public Plus)
· Webcast: Virtual Congressional Briefing: Preparing for and Responding to Historic Drought and Wildfires, 2021 (Public Plus)
Conservation / Water Use Efficiency Program
· 2935: Water Efficiency Programs for Integrated Water Management, 2006 (Public Plus)
· 4175: A Balanced Approach to Water Conservation in Utility Planning, 2012 (Subscriber) and a Compendium of Water-Saving Technologies (Subscriber)
Residential Water Use and Analysis
· 4309: Residential End Uses of Water, Version 2, 2016 with a 25-page Executive Report (Public), a JAWWA article (2017), and a Research Report. Includes SFH end uses of water and a brief outdoor water use analysis.
· 5242: Residential End Uses of Water, Version 3, ongoing (Subscriber), focuses on indoor water use analysis in SFH and MFH.
Commercial and Institutional Water Use
· 4619: Developing Water Use Metrics for the Commercial and Institutional Sectors, 2019, (Public Plus), including Water Use Analysis Guide for Commercial and Institutional Efficiency
· 4227: Smart Irrigation Controller Demonstration and Evaluation in Orange County, Florida, 2016 (Subscriber Only)
· 4633: Urban Landscape Water Use Research Evaluation, 2018 (Public Plus)
· Demand Forecasting: Water Use and Efficiency Synthesis Report, 2022, (Public Plus) is a high-level summary of WRF’s ~50 research projects on water use estimates and demand forecasting.
· 4495: Integrating Water Efficiency into Long-Term Demand Forecasting (2018) for updated information on water saving technologies.
Land Use Planning and Water Use
· 4623: Integrating Land Use and Water Resources: Planning to Support Water Supply Diversification 2018, (Pubic Plus), including Coordinated Planning Guide: A How-To Resource for Integrating Water Supply and Land Use Planning.
· 4966: Modeling Future Residential Outdoor Water Demand in Aurora, CO, 2022 Executive Summary is Public Plus
Revenue: Utility Finance Synthesis Report is a high-level summary of WRF’s 20 research projects
· 5327: Utility Business Models for Managing Water Demand Reduction (ongoing)
· 4366: Defining a Resilient Business Model for Water Utilities (2014)
Water Loss Control Programs
· Water Loss Control Synthesis Report (2022) is a high-level summary of WRF’s ~30 research projects on water loss control.
· 5057: Level 1 Water Audit Validation Guidance Manual, Second Edition, 2021 (Public Plus) to be used in conjunction with AWWA Free Water Audit Software Version 6.