Where is the Equus Beds aquifer?
The Equus Beds is a shallow aquifer in south-central Kansas. Wichita's municipal well field was developed in it in southwestern Harvey County and northwestern Sedgwick County, according to USGS, to supply water to the city. Irrigation wells followed in the 1960s. Combined city and farm pumping caused large water-level declines.
Wichita now runs an Aquifer Storage and Recovery project that stores water in the aquifer for later use. Under the city's permits, artificial recharge is barred in any area where water levels are above January 1940 levels or less than 10 feet below land surface. That rule exists because parts of the area can have a shallow water table. USGS also notes that older maps didn't show the shallow water table accurately and published a revised map.
If your lot is in northwest Sedgwick or southwest Harvey County, ask your well driller or check county well records for local water levels before you plan a dig.
City water or a private well?
| Factor | City water | Private well |
|---|---|---|
| Permit to connect | Utility service connection | MABCD well permit in Sedgwick County and adopting cities |
| State water right | Not your concern; the utility holds it | Domestic use exempt from appropriation permit; non-domestic use needs one |
| Water quality | Treated to drinking standards | Your responsibility; new wells must be tested at least for bacteria and nitrates |
| Cost pattern | Monthly bill by volume | Drilling and pump up front, electricity after |
| Chlorine/chloramine | Present in treated water | None, unless you add it |
| Winter supply | Frost-free yard hydrant or line from house | Same; plus pump and pressure tank protection |
| Best fit | Small backyard houses near the home | Larger houses, high tunnels, rural lots |
A backyard greenhouse of a couple hundred square feet usually runs fine on a hose bib or a buried line from the house. A high tunnel or a market-scale house on acreage is where a well starts to make sense.
What do Kansas water-rights rules say?
Kansas water law starts from the Kansas Water Appropriation Act. Under K.S.A. 82a-728, it is unlawful to appropriate water without a permit, "except for the appropriation of water for the purpose of domestic use."
K.S.A. 82a-701(c) defines domestic use as water used by a person or household for household purposes, for watering farm livestock and animals, "and for the irrigation of lands not exceeding a total of two acres in area for the growing of gardens, orchards and lawns."
What that means for a greenhouse:
- A home greenhouse watering your own garden plants fits comfortably inside the two-acre garden language.
- A production greenhouse is not domestic use. Kansas regulations list greenhouses under "industrial use": water used "in connection with the manufacture, production, transport, or storage of products, or … providing commercial services, including water used in connection with … greenhouses" (K.A.R. 5-1-1). So a production greenhouse on its own well or surface water needs approval from the KDA Division of Water Resources and a water right before it starts (KDA-DWR). On city or rural-water-district service, the supplier holds the water right.
- Large irrigation beyond two acres, or clearly commercial use, needs an appropriation permit.
The exemption is from the state water-right permit. It is not an exemption from well construction permits, which come next.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Sedgwick County?
Yes. MABCD's water well page states that a permit must be obtained "prior to construction, reconstruction, plugging or treatment of water wells." The code covers unincorporated Sedgwick County and cities that have adopted it, so check with your city if you're inside limits.
Key points from that page:
- Contractors must hold a Kansas license, carry $300,000 in liability insurance, and register with MABCD. A landowner can build a well that serves only their own home.
- Wells should be at least 50 feet from pollution sources such as septic systems and fuel storage (10 feet allowed in some cases) and at least 25 feet from the nearest property line.
- New, reconstructed or treated wells must be tested, at minimum for bacteria and nitrates.
- Pulling a pump or chlorinating a well generally doesn't need a permit. Plugging an abandoned well does.
MABCD's main line is 316-660-1840.
Water quality: chloride and what to test
USGS reports that falling water levels in the Equus Beds allowed two kinds of salty water to move toward Wichita's well field: brine from past oil and gas activity near Burrton, and natural saline water from the Arkansas River. In its words, "large chloride concentrations may limit use or require the treatment of water from the well field."
That's a statement about the city's well field area, not every private well. But if you're west or northwest of Wichita, toward Burrton, or near the river, it's worth testing beyond the required bacteria and nitrate panel. For a greenhouse, ask the lab to include:
| Test | Why it matters for plants |
|---|---|
| Chloride | Some crops are sensitive to salty water; it can build up in containers |
| Electrical conductivity (EC) or total dissolved solids | A single number for overall salt load |
| pH and alkalinity | Affects nutrient availability and fertilizer choice |
| Nitrate | Required for new wells; also counts toward your fertilizer budget |
| Hardness / iron | Can clog drip emitters and misting nozzles |
For help reading results for a home garden, the Sedgwick County Extension garden hotline is 316-660-0190.
How much water will a greenhouse need?
It varies too much by crop, size and season to give one number we'd stand behind. What we can say for design:
- Plan the supply line for peak summer, when a glazed house transpires the most water.
- Size for drip, not hand-watering, if the house is more than a few hundred square feet.
- Harvest roof water. Wichita averages 32.64 inches of precipitation a year (1991–2020). Each inch on 1 ft² of roof is 0.623 gallons. A 12 × 20 ft greenhouse roof (240 ft²) could shed about 240 × 32.64 × 0.623 = 4,880 gallons a year before losses. A storage tank inside also adds thermal mass.
Groundwater and below-grade greenhouses
If you're planning an earth-sheltered or pit greenhouse, groundwater matters as much as sun.
Arkansas River valley. NRCS soil data for Sedgwick County (Soil Data Access) rate the sandy Canadian series as well drained. But it often maps with the somewhat poorly drained Waldeck series, which carries a seasonal water table at 61–92 cm (2–3 ft) from October through April. That's the growing season for a winter greenhouse.
Northwest county over the Equus Beds. The 10-foot recharge rule tells you shallow water exists here. A 4-ft pit is usually fine where water sits deeper than 10 ft; a test hole tells you for sure.
East and south clay. Clay soils like Irwin, Tabler and Rosehill drain slowly. Water doesn't come up from below so much as perch around your walls after rain.
How we handle drainage on below-grade builds:
- Check the NRCS soil map for your parcel.
- Dig a test hole in late winter or early spring, when water tables are highest, if the map flags a risk.
- Set floor depth above the seasonal high water table, with a margin.
- Install perimeter drain tile in washed gravel around footings, wrapped in fabric.
- Run the drain to daylight downslope if grade allows; otherwise to a sump pit with a pump.
- Grade the surface and berm to shed runoff away from the pit.
Our greenhouse foundations page covers footing depth and drainage for at-grade builds. The sun-angle guide explains why a shallow pit is also better for light.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a water right to water my greenhouse from a well in Kansas?
Not for domestic use. K.S.A. 82a-728 exempts domestic use from the appropriation permit, and K.S.A. 82a-701(c) includes irrigating up to two acres of gardens, orchards and lawns. A production greenhouse is different: Kansas regulations list greenhouses under "industrial use," so on its own well it needs Division of Water Resources approval.
Do I need a permit to drill a well for a greenhouse in Sedgwick County?
Yes. MABCD requires a permit before constructing, reconstructing, plugging or treating a water well. The well must be built by a licensed, registered contractor unless it serves only your own home.
Where is the Equus Beds aquifer?
The part of the Equus Beds that matters most here lies under northwestern Sedgwick County and southwestern Harvey County. It feeds Wichita's municipal well field and many irrigation wells.
Is Equus Beds well water salty?
In some areas. USGS reports brine from past oil and gas activity near Burrton and saline water from the Arkansas River have moved toward the city's well field. Test for chloride and conductivity before using well water on sensitive crops.
Can I build an underground greenhouse over the Equus Beds?
Often, but check depth to water first. Wichita's recharge permits bar recharge where water is less than 10 feet below the surface, so shallow water exists in parts of the area. A shallow 3–4 ft pit with perimeter drainage is the safer design.
Ready to build?
- Underground and earth-sheltered greenhouses — pit greenhouses designed around your water table and soil.
- Greenhouse foundations — footings, frost depth and drainage for Wichita soils.
- High tunnel and hoop house installation — larger growing spaces where a well often makes sense.
- Commercial greenhouse construction — market-scale houses with water supply planned from day one.
Get a quote
Tell us where your lot is and how you plan to water. We'll plan supply lines, drainage and depth before anything gets dug.