What’s going in there?
What’s going in on the northwest corner of Tuxedo on Highway 75?
It’s a Take 5 Oil Change. The building that was there has been demolished, and construction on the new business is expected to start soon.
Railroad repairs
Who is responsible for the repairs underway at the railroad crossing and Hensley Boulevard?
That’s a South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) project, for which planning began in August 2025 and got underway this week.
Checking the numbers
According to the most recent annual report, the Water Treatment Plant treated 1.9 billion gallons of water, and the Wastewater Treatment Plant treated 2.09 billion gallons of wastewater. How did we end up with so much more wastewater than what was treated in the water treatment plant? I would have expected it to balance.
Response from Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen:
The difference is primarily due to stormwater inflow and infiltration (I/I) into the wastewater collection system.
Inflow and infiltration can occur in several ways, including through open-top roof vents, missing cleanout caps, and cracks or defects in private service lines and City-owned mains that allow stormwater to enter the wastewater system. Unfortunately, some level of I/I is common in every wastewater collection system.
In Bartlesville, the City maintains approximately 270 miles of City-owned wastewater collection piping, in addition to approximately 280 miles of privately owned service lines that connect to the City’s system. We also have approximately 15,000 buildings with roof vents and cleanouts that can provide opportunities for stormwater to enter the wastewater system.
The City invests significant time and resources in maintaining the collection system and identifying and notifying property owners of defects on their private systems in an effort to minimize I/I. However, given the size and age of the system, as well as the number of connections and potential points of entry, some level of inflow and infiltration is inevitable.