Tulsa Water And Waterline Update

Press release from City of Tulsa:

February 20, 2021

The City of Tulsa is still trying to increase storage tank levels due to the amount of water being lost throughout the water system.

Currently, there are 119 waterline breaks. There are 64 lines closed down impacting 960 residences and 133 business. With the amount of water still being lost throughout the system, crews will be closing down more lines, which could impact more customers.

Repairs will be prioritized based on when the waterlines are shut down. The City’s main focus is to repair waterlines and restore service to all affected customers.

Water and Sewer crews continue to be on 24/7 operations with 40 crews working through the weekend on waterline breaks.

To report waterline breaks, customers can call Water Dispatch at (918) 596-9488 or Sewer Dispatch at (918) 586-6999. Additionally, customers can report waterline breaks via email, with no wait times, to waterbreaks@cityoftulsa.org.

The City of Tulsa is asking all water customers to continue conserving water. When temperatures reach above freezing (like they are today), water customers can discontinue letting faucets drip to help conserve.

Conserve Water

Tips to conserve water include:

• Don’t use high water-usage appliances, such as your dishwasher and washing machine
• Refrain from taking baths and long showers
• Keep your water usage to consumption only, such as for cooking, getting drinking water, using the toilet, and letting the water drip to keep it circulating in your pipes

View the waterline break map at: https://maps.cityoftulsa.org/watermainbreaks

Water Stations & 24/7 Water Pick-Up

Tulsa County residents that are homebound and who have their water shut-off due to emergency service issues can call 211 and the “Be a Neighbor” organization will deliver water to their home.

In addition to River Spirit Expo and Tulsa Fire Stations, beginning this afternoon, water trucks will be available 24/7 for residents at:

• LaFortune Park, 5837 S. Yale Ave. (next to the ballfields)
• McClure Community Center, 7440 E. 7th St. (next to the tennis courts)
• TCC Northeast Campus, 3727 E. Apache St. (Lot 4 - enter off of Harvard)

River Spirit Expo Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• To access the expo, enter from the south main lobby at Gate 2 - parking will be available near the Tulsa Golden Driller

Tulsa Fire Stations Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• If you’re at a fire station, please be patient, as many firefighters are working on high levels of calls for service.

*Residents must bring their own containers to all locations and masks are required.

Voluntary Boil Order Still in Effect

The City of Tulsa has issued a voluntary boil order for Tulsa water customers who have experienced low water pressure, are seeing discolored water, and those who have recently had water service restored after their water was shutoff for waterline repairs.

This advisory will remain in effect for another 48 hours or until the water system says the water is safe to drink again, whichever comes later.

Please note this is a voluntary boil order issued as a precaution, not a mandatory boil order. In Tulsa, there have been no confirmed water quality violations reported at this time.

Voluntary boil orders are issued when conditions are present for a potential problem with the drinking water, but a problem has not been confirmed. These are most commonly issued for water main breaks and other low-pressure events where the possibility of contamination intrusion exists.

In contrast, a mandatory boil order, which has not been issued, is issued by ODEQ when there is a violation of drinking water regulations.

Take these precautionary steps during a voluntary boil order:

• Boil water intended for consumption for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation - or use bottled water
• Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water
• Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker
• For more information about the voluntary order and tips, is available online.

This press release was produced by the City of Tulsa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.