Bartlesville residents should receive notification this month regarding their water service lines. A questionnaire will be included, which is required for the City to comply with the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule.
This rule required every water utility in the United States to inventory all water service lines connected to the distribution system by Oct. 16, 2024. This inventory applied to lines both on the public (City) and customer side of the water meter. This inventory has been completed by the City of Bartlesville.
The rule also requires an annual update of the inventory, development of strategies to identify unknown services lines, and public outreach and education.
If a lead or galvanized service line is discovered on either the public or customer portion of the water service line, the City must notify the property owner of this finding and any available financing programs to replace this service line. (None have been identified at this time.) If the water service line material on either the City’s or customer side of the meter cannot be confirmed, the City must notify the property owner that the service line material is unknown but may be lead.
Off the 16,412 service line connections in Bartlesville, 2,338 were confirmed to be non-lead or galvanized, 1 was confirmed as galvanized requiring replacement on the customer’s side of the meter, and 14,073 could not be determined from a record review, which is classified as unknown.
In accordance with the EPA’s rule, the City will provide a notification to the properties that have either a galvanized or unknown service line Bartlesville residents should receive that notification this month. The results will also published online through the City’s GIS website, https://arcgissrv.cityofbartlesville.org/arcgis/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a92f779249244786800903b49c90c275
Utility customers should complete the questionnaire included in the notification and return it so the requirements of the LCR are met.
Return surveys to City of Bartlesville, ATTN: Water Dept., 401 S. Johnstone Ave., Bartlesville, OK 74003, or in person at the Utility Billing Office located on the first floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave.
For more information, contact the Water Utilities Department at 918.338.4116. To access the questionnaire, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.