Great Plains

Location:

Kansas ,
Status:

Operational ,
Waste Type:

Ag byproducts , Biosolids ,

Built on decades of Kansas expertise

Vaulted’s Great Plains facility repurposes legacy salt caverns for permanent organic waste disposal.

Great Plains sits on salt caverns in Hutchinson, Kansas, that were developed for beneficial reuse in 2012. We took over operations in 2023, modernizing the site with our technology and tripling its processing capacity while keeping the local team in place.

The facility accepts biosolids, excess manure, and other organic wastes from partners across the region, stored permanently in naturally impermeable salt formations. Salt is self-sealing, and it naturally closes any fractures over time. Combined with our engineered well design and continuous monitoring, salt caverns provide some of the most secure natural containment available.

Salt Cavern Injection Technology

When Vaulted stores waste in salt caverns, we use controlled brine displacement to manage cavern pressure and maintain safe, stable containment.

Porous rock

Near the surface, porous, permeable rock layers allow water and other fluids to move freely. These layers are protected by multiple steel casing strings cemented through the zone to the surface, physically isolating the disposal system from drinking water sources before waste ever travels down.
secondary confining zone

A dense, low-permeability rock layer acts as an additional barrier between the underground source of drinking water (USDW) and the disposal zone below, providing redundancy to the primary confining zone. Production casing extends through this layer and is cemented to the formation, providing an engineered barrier as slurry passes through the tubing inside the production casing.
primary confining zone

This thick, intact salt formation serves as the primary geological seal above the injection zone. Salt is naturally impermeable and self-sealing. Our well casing extends through this interval and is cemented in place, adding an independent engineered barrier along the wellbore.
injection zone

We inject into a brine-filled salt cavern where the organic waste is permanently stored. Waste travels down the tubing and enters the cavern, where the surrounding walls of impermeable salt provide the geological barrier for permanent storage. As waste is injected, brine is returned to the surface through the space between the casing and tubing to manage cavern pressure. Pressure is monitored continuously at the surface to detect any deviation from operating limits.
lower confining zone

A second impermeable confining layer below the injection zone prevents downward migration and provides a barrier between the injection zone and the underlying geologic basement. Together with the primary confining zone above and the cemented casings, it provides multiple layers of natural and engineered confinement.

Our commitment
to the Hutchinson
area

Vaulted is invested in Hutchinson, Reno County, and the state of Kansas for the long term — economically, operationally, and as a neighbor.

Our Great Plains facility is more than a waste disposal site. It employs locally, works with local businesses, and contributes to the economic and environmental health of the region.

40+

New full-time jobs created
$10.8M

Invested in the local economy
140000+

Tons of waste processed

01

Jobs impact

We’re committed to providing long-term careers in underground waste storage for local residents. Some of our team members have been at the site since it first opened and some have been promoted to leaders, and we’re actively hiring.

Great Plains currently has 40+ full-time team members across field operations and support roles, with competitive wages, matched 401k, company-subsidized healthcare, and paid time off. Operators receive extensive training in equipment operation, environmental health and safety, and mechanical maintenance.
02

Local Investment

Since taking over the Great Plains facility in 2023, Vaulted has put more than $10.8 million into the local Kansas economy through operations, contractor payments, and employee wages. We work with local trucking companies, equipment vendors, and service providers.

In 2025, we tripled the facility’s processing capacity, expanding our local footprint and adding new jobs in the process.
03

In the community

We’re here to listen and support community activities.

This includes hosting open houses to chat with folks and sponsoring local events like the Strataca 5K, the Veterans Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair, and the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting.

Testimonials

Voices from our communities

Hear from some of the people who know us well in Kansas.

“Vaulted Deep has brought greater flexibility to our biosolids disposal operations. Their ability to manage disposal even during wet weather—when land application isn’t an option—has been invaluable.”

Dillan Curtis, City of Derby Public Works, Vaulted waste partner in Hutchinson, Kansas
“I like Vaulted because they have great people to work with. They’ve given work opportunities to not only my business, but to a lot of other businesses in the community as well. Vaulted has been very helpful to my business in providing consistent work.”

Dale Nisley, D&T Hauling, Vaulted trucking partner in Hutchinson, Kansas
“Working with Vaulted Deep allows us to reduce our manure stockpile while we receive some income proceeds to offset the work we do to keep our pens clean. It provides a great benefit with little extra hassle from the feed yard operations.”

Taylor Hughes, Pratt Feeders, Vaulted waste partner in Hutchinson, Kansas