WICHITA, Kan. (TELEMUNDO KANSAS) — Cuando conduce por la Interestatal 235 a lado del zoológico, es fácil ver el sitio de construcción de la planta de Agua en el Noroeste de Wichita. Sin embargo, puede resultar difícil determinar si el proyecto está a punto de finalizar.

El lunes aprendimo que uno de los edificios clave ya estaba terminado: el edificio administrativo.

  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • Wichita's Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
    Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility administrative building (Courtesy Wichita Water Works)
  • FILE - TC Energy's Keystone pipeline facility is seen in Hardisty, Alberta, on Nov. 6, 2015. Federal regulators on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy in the Pacific Northwest over the protest of environmental groups and top West Coast officials. The pipeline project, known as GTN Xpress, belongs to TC Energy of Calgary, Canada — the same company behind the now-abandoned Keystone XL crude oil pipeline. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
    FILE – TC Energy’s Keystone pipeline facility is seen in Hardisty, Alberta, on Nov. 6, 2015. Federal regulators on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy in the Pacific Northwest over the protest of environmental groups and top West Coast officials. The pipeline project, known as GTN Xpress, belongs to TC Energy of Calgary, Canada — the same company behind the now-abandoned Keystone XL crude oil pipeline. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

El edificio albergará las oficinas administrativas y un laboratorio del Programa Nacional de Acreditación de Laboratorios Ambientales.

“El edificio administrativo contiene todos los laboratorios que la ciudad de Wichita necesitará para reemplazar su laboratorio de calidad del agua existente en el centro”, dijo Evan Menkes, gerente de proyecto de Wichita Water Partners, en un comunicado de prensa.

Los laboratorios incluyen bacteriología, metales, sustancias orgánicas, aguas potables y residuales e instrumentación. Una vez que lesté operativa, el personal del laboratorio realizará trabajo analítico para la planta, instalaciones adicionales de la ciudad y otras agencias en el centro-sur de Kansas.

El edificio de 14,000 pies cuadrados es el único en el sitio al que el público podrá ingresar.

Con un costo de $500 millones, es la inversión en infraestructura más grande jamás realizada por la ciudad. Reemplazará la planta de tratamiento de agua de la ciudad, de 80 años de antigüedad. Se espera que esté terminado a finales de 2024.

Cuando esté en pleno funcionamiento, la planta bombeará 120 millones de galones de agua potable diariamente a más de medio millón de personas en el centro-sur de Kansas.