Water restrictions, high-use rates go into effect April 10

April 4, 2023

Rate hikes for high-use households go into effect April 10

The Bartlesville City Council on Monday voted to approve modifications to the Water Shortage Ordinance and a resolution to enact emergency water rate provisions of the Water Shortage Ordinance.

What it means

This means rate increases for households using in excess of 10,000 gallons of water per month, outdoor watering restrictions and other measures beginning Monday, April 10, for all City of Bartlesville water customers.

These measures are in response to ongoing drought conditions in the Hulah Lake watershed area, located in southeast Kansas. Hulah Lake, located near Copan, is the City’s primary water supply source. The Drought Contingency Plan, which was created following a severe drought in 2002, has been updated through the council’s actions Monday night.

The measures: Phase 2

The plan requires steps to be taken based on the percentage of the City’s overall water supply levels during drought conditions. Phase 1 of the plan kicks in when levels fall below 80 percent, requiring a public information campaign to inform the public of the supply status and measures they can take to reduce usage.

Phase 2, which is the phase Bartlesville is currently in, is based on an overall water supply level between 69 and 60 percent. As of Monday, overall levels were at 60.6 percent. In accordance with this stage of the plan as approved by the council Monday, the following measures will become effective on Monday, April 10:

  • Rates increases for customers using more than 10,000 gallons of water per month. Increases include 105 percent of current rates for use between 10,001 gallons and 25,000 gallons, 110 percent of current rates for use between 25,001 gallons and 50,000 gallons, and 115 percent of current rates for use in excess of 50,000 gallons.
  • Outdoor water use will be restricted to two days per week, with even-numbered properties watering on Mondays and Thursdays and odd numbered properties watering on Tuesdays and Fridays.
  • City owned facilities such as golf courses, parks and capital projects will reduce or discontinue all irrigation except as necessary to preserve greens or newly planted trees. For athletic fields or newly laid sod or seed, the watering shall be restricted to follow the outdoor water restrictions for even numbered properties implemented by each stage.
  • A reduced schedule of operation or closure may be implemented for City-owned swimming pools to conserve water.
  • City-owned splash pads will be closed.
  • All leaks in the raw water and treated water system will be repaired immediately, without waiting for the most cost effective or convenient time.
  • Non-essential operational uses of water by City crews will be suspended. Examples include but are not limited to flushing of water mains and fire hydrants, street sweeping, routine water jet cleaning of sanitary sewer mains, and non-essential training of fire fighters using potable water.

Phases

Phase 3, which will go into effect is water levels fall between 59 and 50 percent, will require all of the Phase 2 measures plus further restricted outdoor watering to one day per week, no written warnings and a more aggressive fine schedule for violations, reduced water pressure, and more aggressive rate increases, including for households using between 2001 and 10,000 gallons per month.

Stage 4 kicks in when levels fall to below 50 percent. This would include all of the above measures with a total ban on outdoor watering, the closure of City-owned swimming pools, and more aggressive fines for violations and higher rate increases for households using more than 2,000 gallons of water per month.

Rates

“The average family uses 7,000 gallons of water per month, so these provisions would not affect the average household unless we enter Stage 3 of the plan,” said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen. “Unfortunately, rate increases have been shown to have the biggest impact on water conservation.”

Any revenue from these rate increases will be captured and allocated for water system improvement or future conservation efforts.

Rates will remain consistent with whichever phase is in effect based on overall water levels until “there is an expectation that levels will remain above the threshold for a reasonable period of time,” Lauritsen said.

“Hopefully, we will have a significant rain event or enough overall rain the Hulah watershed area to refill Hulah Lake to bring our overall levels to 70 percent or above, at which time water rates will go back to the regular, previous rates.”

The measures will be enforced by the Bartlesville Police Department and Codes Enforcement. Any person violating any of the Stage 2 restrictions will be subject to a a written warning for the first offense, a $50 fine for the second offense, a $100 fine for the third offense, a $200 fine for the fourth offense, and a $500 fine for the fifth or more offense.

To view the ordinance in its entirety, see Water Shortage OrdinanceFor more information, see www.cityofbartlesville.org, City Beat, March 21, 2023, City Beat, March 28,or City Beat, April 4.