KEY QUOTE: “’For too long, water has been treated as an issue for the next generation to solve,’ [Gov. Kelly] told conference attendees. ‘That has to change, and we are the ones to change it. It has to be a multi-generational promise, a commitment that each generation will protect our water supply. Each generation takes steps to ensure that two generations from now, Kansans will still have the water they need.’”

Kansas Set to Act Upon Water Issues
Bill Spiegel, High Plains Journal
Dec. 7, 2024

- When Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ran for re-election in 2022, developing a roadmap for the future of water in Kansas was near the top of her to-do list. At the 2024 Governor’s Water Conference, Nov. 13-14 in Manhattan, she summarized progress in carrying the Kansas Water Plan to fruition.
- In creating the framework for a strategic plan, in the last year, the Kansas Water Authority has hosted 28 regional advisory meetings. Fourteen in-person local council meetings have been held across the state, and more than 50 focused discussions have been held with stakeholders who have an array of interests.
- “The message heard through this process so far is clear,” Kelly said. “Kansans want us to be both practical and bold. They want more investment, but they want us to show meaningful, measurable progress on our water issues with dollars we do have. Having access to a clean, secure water supply is an issue of survival for Kansas communities, and people want action now.”
- Kelly said that by the end of the year, the state will have recommendations based on the feedback of its citizens. “I look forward to putting those ideas into action as quickly as possible,” she said. “Our task is urgent, and the stakes are high.”