City Of Coweta Issued Violation Notice For Low Chlorine Levels In Water Supply

Oklahoma Environmental Quality has issued a violation notice to the City of Coweta, noting inadequate chlorine in the water supply.

The State and the City of Coweta maintain the water is safe to drink, even as residents complain about the taste and odor. Chlorine is a disinfectant, and testing by the State indicated it was low, in water checked at the end of the lines.

City Manager Julie Casteen said staff turnover at the water treatment plant, at a time of increased usage, including routine hydrant testing by the Fire Department, created a situation where the treatment was inadequate.

“That's been corrected and in the past 3 days or so, and we've got the system up to where it needs to be leaving the plant,” said Casteen, who said the city would begin slowly flushing the lines Monday to ensure fully treated water reaches all section of the system.

Casteen said the city has 3,700 water customers and a treatment plant with plenty of capacity to deliver water sourced from the Verdigris River.

Coweta's water is under increased scrutiny from the state, and DEQ testing shows it’s safe, even if it doesn't pass the taste and smell test of customers.

The DEQ issued a Notice of Violation June 20th, after testing found inadequate levels of chlorine in the end lines of the water system.

The city was given 14 days to correct the problem, but the state has not ordered customers to boil the water.

"We have noted there are issues with the low chlorine residuals, we haven't seen anything that would warrant a precautionary or mandatory boil order" said Erin Hatfield, the Communications Director for DEQ.

Hatfield said home filters would likely improve the taste and odor.

The State Report on Coweta Water from 2023:

Related: 'So Terrible': Coweta Mother Worried About Family's Health Amid Water Quality Issues, Superintendent's Resignation