City officials announced Friday that adult zebra mussels have been found in Cheney Reservoir at the intake structure where Wichita draws its water supply. Zebra mussels were first identified in Cheney Reservoir last year but this is the first report of adult mussels at the intake.

The City has been preparing for such a discovery for the past several years and is now ready to take the next steps to keep its water system clean.

“We’re looking at the best way to put a permanent protection system in place for the intake line at Cheney Reservoir that will either kill the mussels or prevent them from attaching to the pipe,” said Debra Ary, Division Engineer for Wichita Water Utilities. “Currently, zebra mussels haven’t affected the flow of water into our system, but it’s important that we address the issue right now before they grow in numbers and have the potential to clog our pipeline.”

On Aug. 5 the Wichita City Council approved a study to thoroughly examine all of the current methods to stop the spread of zebra mussels and what treatments would be most effective for the intake structure and pipelines at Cheney Reservoir. While a timeline for putting a zebra mussel protection system in place hasn’t been determined, Ary said the City is working diligently to start the design and construction phase as quickly as possible.

This is the second study undertaken by Wichita to address the issue of zebra mussels. The first was in 2005 that recommended a thorough public education program in conjunction with Kansas Wildlife and Parks.