Tulsa Waterline, Street Operations Update – 9:45 A.M.

Press release from City of Tulsa:

February 18, 2021

The City is still working under 24-hour operations to clear arterial roadways and respond to a historic number of waterline breaks.

Street Operations Update

Crews spent the night and the morning treating arterial roadways with salt, as some refreeze did occur. Most streets are in good condition at this time. City crews will be out today treating additional refreeze, turn lanes and other spots as needed. Tonight, crews will continue that work.

Water Stations Available at ALL Tulsa Fire Stations, River Spirit Expo

In addition to the Water Station at River Spirit Expo, the Tulsa Fire Department has offered up all of its fire stations until further notice to anyone who needs water.

Details are as follows:

• Residents must bring their own containers
• Fire stations are open for water pick up from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Masks are required when entering any station
• Be patient if you do not immediately see a firefighter, as many are working on high levels of calls for service
• For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 and do not show up at a fire station

The Water Station at Expo Square will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. Residents will be able to pick up water (bringing their own containers) by entering the south main lobby at Gate 2. Parking will be available near the Tulsa Golden Driller.

Waterline Break Updates

Crews worked throughout the night to address the growing number of waterline breaks in Tulsa.

As of this morning, the City was working on 155 breaks, with water shut off to 130 lines. Roughly 1,700 residents and 93 businesses are affected.

Reporting Breaks

Residents are asked to be patient if they are experiencing a waterline issue, as crews are working to shut off and repair the breaks as quickly as they can.

To report a waterline break, residents can call Water Distribution at (918) 596-9488. If that number is busy for an extended period of time, citizens may also report waterline breaks to waterdispatch@cityoftulsa.org.

Water Pump Update

At 3:20 a.m., crews were able to get a back-up pump running at the Mohawk Water Treatment Plant. A pump failure earlier in the evening caused low water pressure at locations throughout the city. Soon after the pump was put into service, there was an improvement in water pressure at the areas listed below:

• Southside Secondary Pressure Zone: E. 61st St. to E. 91st St., S. Harvard Ave. to S. Sheridan Road.
• Near the Tulsa County Fairgrounds: E. 15th St. to E. 24th St., S. Harvard Ave. to S. Yale Ave.
• Sunset Plaza Apartments service area: E. Independence Street and N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• Turkey Mountain service area
• Oakhurst service area: W. 61st St. to W. 71st St, S. 33rd West Ave. to S. 65th West Ave.
• Gilcrease Hills Secondary Pressure Zone: W. 36th Street North to W. Edison Ave., LL Tisdale Expressway to the Botanical Gardens
• West Tulsa: West 31st St. to West 51st St., Southwest Boulevard to S. 81st West Ave.
• Woodcrest Service Area: South of Pine, S. 174th East Ave. to S. 193rd East Ave.

Conserve Water

The City is continuing to ask residents to conserve water today. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has NOT issued a boil order for Tulsa water customers at this time. Though individual service interruptions should be expected for those directly impacted by these waterline breaks, Tulsa residents and those who utilize the city’s water system are asked to conserve water.

Tips to conserve water include:

• Don’t use high water-usage appliances, such as your dishwasher and washing machine
• Refrain from taking baths and long showers
• Keep your water usage to consumption only, such as for cooking, getting drinking water, using the toilet, and letting the water drip to keep it circulating in your pipes

Thanks to the hard work from the City’s Water and Sewer and IT Departments, the City has created an interactive map that provides additional information on waterline breaks .View the map at: https://maps.cityoftulsa.org/watermainbreaks

Clean Your Aerators

Because of low water pressures in certain areas affected by last night’s pump failure, residents are being asked to check their aerators on sinks and faucets. Aerators, which are those small round pieces on the bottom of your faucet where the water comes out, can collect sediment and other debris due to low water pressure.

Aerators are easily cleanable and can be unscrewed from the faucet, usually by hand – a wrench can be used if they do not easily come off. To clean your aerators, you can use an old toothbrush and a glass of vinegar.

Tulsa Fire Department Updates

Just yesterday alone, TFD responded to more than 200 water shut off calls at residences and businesses. Thanks to their swift response, the City was able to conserve additional water.

Protect Your Pipes

• To protect your water pipes from extreme cold, you should:
• Turn on the furthest faucet away from your street and let it drip – this will allow for water to circulate in your system and decrease the chance for your water to freeze in your pipes
• Open cabinet doors below faucets allowing warm air to contact the pipes - this is especially important for faucets located on walls that are on the outside perimeter of your home
• If you normally store cleaning supplies in these cabinets, it’s important to relocate them to a safe storage spot that children and pets cannot access
• Locate your home’s water shutoff valve in case first responders need to respond and quickly find it

If water is not flowing out of your pipes, you should:

• Leave faucets open and make sure your cabinets are open
• Leaving faucets open makes sure you can expedite the thawing process
• Apply a safe heating source facing the walls with the frozen pipes in them to warm them up
• Never use a blowtorch or an open flame device to warm your pipes
• Make sure your heating source is away from any flammable materials
• If the pipe is located on an exterior wall, it’s imperative to act swiftly
• To report a waterline break, residents can call Water Distribution at (918) 596-9488. If that number is busy for an extended period of time, citizens may also report waterline breaks to waterdispatch@cityoftulsa.org

Additional tips on protecting your water pipes can be found online.

This press release was produced by the City of Tulsa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.