Water damage and flood cleanup in Augusta
Augusta is a levee town where the Whitewater and Walnut rivers meet. The City runs its own water, sewer and electric service, so one after-hours number reaches most utility emergencies.
Referral service, not a contractor. A callback request is passed to an independent local restoration company. We do not perform the extraction, drying or repairs ourselves.
Augusta after hours
- Power outage, water leak or sewer backup: (316) 775-4510, press 5, then dial 0 for the dispatcher
- Wastewater plant, business hours: 316-775-4535
- Water plant: (316) 775-4549
- Building Inspections: (316) 775-4505
The night the levee was not enough
A 35-foot levee was built around Augusta to hold back both rivers, according to a 1999 Kansas State University study of the flood response. In the Halloween Flood of 1998 it was not enough. The National Weather Service recorded the Whitewater at Augusta at a record 34.95 feet on November 1. The river topped the levee south of town by mid-afternoon that Sunday, and north of U.S. 54 on the west side that evening.
About 1,800 residents were evacuated, and some in the Meadowview Acres neighborhood who stayed had to be rescued by boat. The NWS counted 565 homes, 230 mobile homes and 100 businesses damaged in and around Augusta. Butler County's total damage to structures, crops and roads came to about $10 million.
The K-State study adds the ground-level view. Walnut River water surged through a break in the levee south of Highway 54 and flooded downtown in the southeast part of the city. Water from both rivers topped the levee and flooded the west side. The city had also flooded in 1993. The Wichita flood and freeze guide follows the same storm on Cowskin Creek.
How Augusta closes up now
During the June 2025 flooding that hit El Dorado hard, KSN reported that the Whitewater reached major flood stage at Augusta while the Walnut ran moderate. Butler County's emergency management director said the city had closed all its levee entrances, "which pretty much protects the city from that river water." Mayor Mike Rawlings said stop logs were going into key floodgate openings, including railroad crossings, and would stay in through the weekend.
That system keeps river water out. It does nothing for rain falling inside the levee, a backed-up sewer, or a burst pipe. Those are still the most common ways a house gets wet.
The NWS posts the Whitewater River at Augusta as a river forecast point (gauge AGSK1) on its hydrograph pages. The City links it from its home page.
Where Augusta's water comes from
The City's water division draws from three surface sources: El Dorado Lake, Santa Fe Lake and Augusta City Lake. The water plant is at 600 Grove. Electricity is city-owned too. Augusta was one of six founding members of the Kansas Power Pool, buys most of its power wholesale through it, and can generate its own for several weeks a year.
Practical upshot: if you need power cut to a flooded basement, or a water leak handled on the street side, the same after-hours route reaches the right crew. The City says after 5 p.m. those calls go to the Public Safety Building dispatcher, who contacts the appropriate utility team.
Augusta's sewer backup rules, plainly
From the City's wastewater page.
Sewage coming up in Augusta
In order- First
Check the warning signs of a main blockage
Sewage coming in when nobody is using water, neighbors on your side of the street with the same problem, or water coming out of a sewer manhole (not a storm drain) near your house.
- Then
Call the City
Business hours: the wastewater plant at 316-775-4535. After hours and weekends: (316) 775-4510, press 5, dial 0, and say you have a sewer backup. The dispatcher pages on-call wastewater staff.
- If it is your line
Call a plumber
The sewer lateral, from just inside your basement out to the main, is the homeowner's to maintain. The City says most backups start there, typically from tree roots.
- Cleanup
Treat it as black water
Sewage cleanup needs protective gear and usually removal of porous materials. That is where a restoration company comes in.
On money, the City is direct: it does not pay for repairs or damage, which fall to you or your insurer if you carry sewer backup coverage. Its page notes an exception of sorts: the City has a practice of assisting with cleanup when the blockage is in its own main. It recommends sewer backup coverage on your homeowners policy and a backflow preventer on your lateral.
Augusta questions
Does the referral line cover Augusta and Butler County?
Yes. Augusta is in the coverage area. An independent restoration company may or may not be available immediately. If none is, you may not hear back.
Is Augusta in the flood insurance program?
The K-State study of the 1998 flood noted that both Arkansas City and Augusta participate in the NFIP. Check FEMA's flood map service center for your address and talk to an agent about a policy.
Who inspects rebuild work in Augusta?
The City lists a Building Inspections office at 114 E. 6th, (316) 775-4505. Ask it what permits a rebuild after water damage will need.