PLEASANTON, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Pleasanton community members reached our with their concerns about the water emergency. If you have a concern about water in Pleasanton, Kansas, reach out to Ryan to share your story. Share your story idea with Ryan.
Residents of Pleasanton, Kansas, spent Sunday at the city pool — not to beat the heat, but to mark its final day open for the summer. The early closure comes as the community of roughly 1,200 people grapples with a water emergency tied to failing infrastructure.
Mayor Mathew Young said the core of the problem lies at Pleasanton Lake, where three pumps responsible for sending water to the treatment plant are breaking down.
"Right now, our biggest problem is the pumps that send the water from the lake to the water plant, they're failing," Young told KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa.
According to Young, one pump has stopped working entirely, a second is operating at about 50% capacity, and a third is running, but struggling to meet the city's demand. Replacing all three pumps is estimated to cost more than $109,000 — money the city does not currently have. Young noted that cost does not include replacing valves that have not functioned in years.
The City Council voted unanimously to direct the emergency declaration during a Special Council Meeting on August 8, 2026, with Mayor Young signing the Declaration of Water Supply Emergency on August 9, 2026. Under the order, all outdoor water use is banned, including watering lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs, parks, golf courses, and recreational areas, as well as washing vehicles, boats, trailers, and building exteriors unless specifically authorized by the city. Violations may be enforced under City Code. The emergency will remain in effect until ended by a resolution of the governing body.
For residents like Stephanie Reach, the uncertainty is unsettling.
"I don't like the unknown," she said. "What happens if I try to take a shower and there is no water?"
Compounding the financial challenge, Pleasanton carries approximately $4 million in debt, some of which stems from previous water plant improvements.
Young said city staff cannot locate maintenance records for the water plant, with the last known work on the pumps believed to have been done in 1993 and 1994. Young noted some records may have been lost to flooding.
The city is working to find a funding solution through grants and aid, without asking city taxpayers to fork out the bill.
Colby Reach, who also lives in Pleasanton, said the situation raises questions about how past funding was used.
"We had grants before to get our treatment plants done and pumps replaced, but where'd all that money go?" Reach questions. "The town needs help."
Young and City Councilman John Bowley, who showed his support with Young on Sunday afternoon, both serving their first terms in office, are now searching for solutions.
But there's still plenty of challenges ahead for the small town, as lead times to build new pumps would take about 10-12 weeks, according to the presentation given in the special council meeting. Once a contractor arrives to install the pumps, it'd likely take three days to reach completion. The plant would also need to be offline for contractors to complete the job.
According to public works officials, with the plant offline for three days, the city will likely run out of water in two days. It would likely put the city under a boil order and low water pressure would cause patched pipes to leak across town.
Additionally, officials in the special meeting stated that there are no other cost-effective water connection options to benefit the community in the short term.
Paying to replace the pumps is an issue, all in itself.
"We're hoping with the state of emergency that we're in, we'll be able to push through some grants a little quicker," Young said.
Young acknowledged the broader challenge facing rural communities with aging infrastructure and limited resources, and said he wants residents to be part of finding a path forward.
"My message is, we are open to suggestions. I would love the people to get involved and understand what is going on," Young said.
Mayor Young was not able to provide a timeline residents can expect the repairs to be completed.
In the special meeting on Saturday, the council also approved an outside bid with Inner Solutions, LLC, a contractor to help the city recruit a new city clerk.
It will cost the city over $22,000, tacking onto the current financial strain created with the water plant.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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