Water supply levels drop; conservation needed

December 5, 2022

Drought conditions across the region have local water supply levels dropping below a comfortable level, prompting City staff to encourage Bartlesville residents to conserve wherever possible.

Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen said this week that levels are at 69 percent of the City’s available water supply, which puts the area just barely into Stage Two of the City’s Drought Contingency Plan, developed in 2002.

Lauritsen said the City’s overall water supply is currently at 69 percent, including Hulah Lake, Copan Lake, Hudson Lake and the Caney River. However, with the Caney River pump station temporarily out of commission due to an ongoing renovation, usable levels are at 60 percent.

“Since the Caney River pump station is offline, this removes the Caney River and Copan Lake piece, and we’re at 60 percent for the Hulah and Hudson lakes portion,” he said, Lauritsen said parts to complete the pump station renovation should arrive in early February 2023, and the station should be operational in April 2023.

“In our drought contingency plan, most of the water restrictions at the 60-70 percent level are geared around limiting outside watering, filling swimming pools and other non-essential water use,” Lauritsen said. “However, because it is wintertime and this is basically in effect already, we are going to focus on public education and outreach to let people know where we are and ask that they conserve water the best they can.”

Lauritsen said average water usage over the last 10 days was 4.26 millions of gallons per day, which is typical for winter months.

“Little things that we can all do every day add up and can make a big difference,” he said. “We are asking all of our water customers to do their best to conserve until the severity of the drought lessens and we can reestablish our water supply sources back to optimal levels.”

General ways you can help

  • Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
  • Never use your toilet as a wastebasket.
  • Take less time in the shower.
  • Run your dishwasher only when full.
  • Run the washing machine only when full and adjust the water level setting carefully.
  • A dripping, trickling or oozing faucet or showerhead can waste from 75 to several hundred gallons of water per week, depending on the size of the drip. Worn out washers are the main cause of these leaks, and a new washer generally cost about $1.
  • Faucets typically use two to seven gallons per minute. Installing a low-flow aerator can reduce the flow by as much as 25 percent — or up to a gallon and a half per minute. Remove and clean aerators often.
  • Leaky toilets make trickling sounds and can waste 50 gallons of water a day or more. Parts are inexpensive and fairly east to replace.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense.