UPDATE: This boil order was removed at 8:15 p.m. on July 13.
On July 12, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issued a boil order for the City of Bartlesville water system. This is an FAQ relating to this order. For more information, see ODEQ issues boil order for Bartlesville water system.
Why wasn’t the public notified of the positive test result on July 10 when it was discovered?
The independent laboratory notified the City of the preliminary E. coli results late Thursday (July 10) morning; however, those results would not be official until late afternoon and the lab would notify the ODEQ. The ODEQ contacted City staff at 5:45 p.m. that day, according to Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen.
“We inquired if we needed to go on an immediate boil order and were told no, that we needed to resample this site and the area adjacent to it as soon as possible,” Lauritsen said. “We flushed this portion of the system Friday morning, resampled and sent those samples to the independent laboratory.
“Late Saturday morning, the laboratory called and said that the original site did not have E. coli, but tested positive for coliform. (Coliform is an indicator of bacterial activity.) The adjacent sites tested were negative for both E. coli and coliform. We received a call from the ODEQ on 12:40 p.m. Saturday (July 12) advising us that we would be placed on a mandatory boil order and they would send us information to publish. We received that information at 2 p.m. on July 12.”
Why didn’t the City issue the boil order as soon as the test showed a positive result?
Boil orders are issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, not the City. The City issued a press release and publicized the information on the City website and social platforms as soon as the notification was confirmed.
What actions were taken to remediate the situation?
Water Utilities Department crews immediately began flushing the system in the area of the affected sampling site when the first test results became known, and have continued extensively flushing and testing the area since. This is the standard protocol used by water service providers when these types of test results occur.
What actions were taken to communicate the issue to the public?
ODEQ notified Bartlesville water treatment plan staff of the boil order on Saturday, July 12, at the same time the organization posted the order on the ODEQ website and Facebook page. Water treatment plant staff notified the Water Utilities director of the notice, who immediately contacted ODEQ to confirm the order. Once confirmed, the Water Utilities director contacted the City manager and the City communications director to relay information to the public.
Communications staff then posted notice of the boil order on the City’s Facebook page and worked with the Water Utilities director to compile all information known at that time into a press release. That release was immediately issued to media and posted to the City’s website and Facebook page. It was also emailed to the City’s newsletter, CityBeat, subscribers and placed on the City’s app, MyBartlesville.
Is this why my water is brown?
No. E. coli and other contaminents are colorless and odorless.
Is this why I’ve been sick?
It is important to note that this sampling site produced only one positive test for E. coli and that all subsequent tests yielded a negative result. City staff believes the positive result is more likely a flaw with the sampling site rather than an indicator of the City’s overall water safety. However, if you are concerned, please check with your medical care provider.
Did this make my pet sick?
It is important to note that this sampling site produced only one positive test for E. coli and that all subsequent tests yielded a negative result. City staff believes the positive result is more likely a flaw with the sampling site rather than an indicator of the City’s overall water safety. However, if you are concerned, please check with your veterinarian.
If I am on kidney dialysis or have a compromised immune system, is boiling the water enough to keep me safe?
We recommend contacting your doctor or medical facility on what is needed for dialysis while we are under the boil order. For all others, we recommend following the boiling procedure prior to ingesting water while we are on the boil order.
Do I need to boil my water if I have a water filter and/or a reverse osmosis system?
Many water filters and reverse osmosis systems are very effective at removing or inactivating E. coli. If you are unsure of what type of water system you utilize, we recommend following the boil order protocol to be safe.
Is it safe to eat in restaurants?
The City does not monitor whether or not restaurants are complying with the boil order. We suggest talking to restaurant staff before ordering, and to opt for bottled water or soda and avoid fountain drinks with ice.
Is it safe to take a shower? Yes. The boil order applies only to water that is ingested.
When will the boil order be removed?
We expect results from the independent laboratory to be available at 8 p.m. today (July 13). Assuming those results are still negative, we anticipate the ODEQ will remove the boil order immediately. We will issue a press release and post the information on the City website, www.cityofbartlesville.org, City app (MyBartlesville) and Facebook page as soon as the information becomes available.
I don’t have Facebook. How can I get information like this in the future? The City issues information such as this to media in the form of a press release in addition to posting on the City website, www.cityofbartlesville.org, Facebook page, City of Bartlesville GOV, the City’s free, weekly newsletter, CityBeat, and the City app, MyBartlesville. You can sign up to receive CityBeat here: https://tinyurl.com/yk4r4m9j The app is available for download on iPhone and Android devices.