We, the undersigned residents of Wichita, call upon the Wichita City Council to enact a legally binding measure that permanently safeguards our city’s water utility from privatization.

Water is not a commodity — it is a shared public resource essential to life, health, and community well-being. For generations, Wichita’s water system has been owned and operated by the public, ensuring local accountability, transparency, and equitable service.

Around the country, the privatization of public water systems has too often led to higher rates, reduced oversight, and loss of community control. We cannot risk that outcome here.

We therefore urge the City Council to adopt a binding ordinance or charter amendment guaranteeing that Wichita’s municipal water utility will remain publicly owned and publicly operated in perpetuity.

This is not just a policy preference — it is a matter of public trust and democratic self-determination. Wichita’s water belongs to Wichita’s people — now and forever.