HALSTEAD, Kan. — With little fanfare, the governing board for the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District rejected the proposal from the city of Wichita to draw water directly from sources instead of injecting it into the aquifer first. The action came during Tuesday’s annual meeting.

It’s part of an agreement made by the city and the district several years ago. General Manager Tim Boese says the matter now goes to a hearing before the Kansas Division of Water Resources. That hearing is set for March 26 and 27 in Colwich. Boese says the proposal simply goes against policies with the state of Kansas.

Boese also says that this year’s well testing is completed and the preliminary numbers look favorable. There are some areas where the aquifer is down in McPherson and Harvey counties, but the water table stayed level or even gained as much as a foot in most areas.

The final numbers won’t be known for another four to six weeks.