By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
"I can't think of anything more important to Kansas than water." That was the concluding statement of Rep. Jim Minnix, R-Scott City, chairman of the Kansas House Water Committee, who spoke at Tuesday's water summit in Hays.
Minnix, a farmer and former Scott County commissioner, was one of several speakers who addressed water industry professionals and state officials from across Kansas gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Minnix updated the audience on water-related legislation he's championed during his time in office and lamented the tightened 2025 state budget.
"The Kansas House has been working hard on water for the past five years," he said. "It doesn't happen fast."
The state senate does not have a dedicated water committee.
During its 90-day session, the Kansas Legislature approved Substitute for House Bill 2172, which establishes the Water Program Task Force to evaluate the state’s water program and its funding. The task force is also required to establish a water planning work group and submit a report to the legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly.
Minnix said all Kansans live or work "upstream and downstream from somebody. We're in this together."
There are an estimated 15 or so state agencies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the federal Environmental Protection Agency that oversee water programs in Kansas. Minnix strongly supports Kelly's desire to create a single natural resources office and spend an additional $30 million each year to address the state's water crisis.
Education, such as the research findings presented at the Know Water Summit, is an important component of helping Kansans understand the future of water quantity and quality in the Sunflower State.
Water conservation is a way of life in Hays, which was cited by numerous speakers for its leadership in the state.
Outdoor watering restrictions went into effect on June 1 and will continue through Sept. 30. Other restrictions are effective year-round.
There are 34 counties in Kansas with a population of more than 15,000 people. Thirty-three of those have adequate surface or groundwater supplies. Only Ellis County does not. The huge underground Ogallala Aquifer, which supports much of western Kansas, does not reach into Ellis County and is declining.
The average daily water use per Hays resident has continued to decrease, said Jeff Crispin, Hays water resources director.
"We're at 78 gallons per person per day usage," he said.
The state average is 130 gallons per person, while the regional average is 172 gallons per person.
Hays also must consider water quality, given the city's urban area and the surrounding agricultural operations. Nitrates and phosphorus contaminants must be controlled, along with newer "forever chemicals" or PFAs (polyfluorooctane sulfonate) found in drinking water supplies and surface water across the United States.
"It's not only important for us to produce good water at the water treatment plant," Crispin said, "but also to clean it on the back end of things, such as the water reclamation and reuse facility.
"We need to make sure we're sending the best quality water we can downstream for the next user. We take that very seriously."
The Know Water Summit, a Kansas State University 105 Initiative, was organized and moderated by Stacie Minson, WaKeeney, a K-State watershed specialist with Big Creek Middle Smoky Hill River Watershed WRAPS.
She also discussed testing to determine what is in private well water and irrigation systems. Private water wells are unregulated in Kansas.
Other speakers included Holly Dickman, city of Hays water conservation specialist along with representatives from the Western Kansas Research Extension Centers, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Water Bureau, Kansas State University, and the Kansas Rural Water Association.