City Of Tulsa Sets Up Water Station For Residents Without Service; Urges Water Conservation

The City of Tulsa had at least 145 water line breaks Wednesday, prompting officials to set up a water distribution site starting Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has not issued a boil order for Tulsa water customers at this time.

The city said it has had an unprecedented number of water line breaks. Wednesday, crews shut off at least 81 lines, affecting around 1,300 homes and at least 43 businesses. Officials said 14 city crews and 21 contract crews have been working to fix the problems, and more crews will work overnight.

Josh Bilby, manager of the city's water distribution division, said while the weather is causing the lines to break, more people are also home using water and letting pipes drip to prevent problems.

"Right now, we're concerned with the elevations in our storage tanks,” explained Bilby. “That's a big concern for us because we use that for fire protection, it's there for a reason. What we need residents to do that not only in Tulsa but the surrounding areas where they purchase water from Tulsa is try to conserve water. If you don't need it, don't use it."

The City of Tulsa is working with Tulsa County and River Spirit Expo to organize a water station for those who have water service interruptions due to waterline breaks.

The water station is located at River Spirit Expo at 4145 E. 21st St. It will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. Residents will be able to pick up water by entering the south main lobby at Gate 2. Parking will be available near the Tulsa Golden Driller.

You do need to bring your own containers for the water.

You can find a list of the City of Tulsa’s active water line breaks here.