Tulsa Waterline, Streets Update – 10 a.m.

2/19/2021

As temperatures are expected to get above freezing today, street crews have turned their focus toward pothole repairs. Water and Sewer crews are on 24/7 operations as they respond to the record number of waterline breaks occurring in Tulsa as a result of the extremely cold temperatures. 

Waterline Break Updates

After a reported earthquake this morning in northwestern Oklahoma, the City has not seen any impacts from that earthquake on the waterline system.

Throughout the duration of this winter weather event, the City has responded to a total of 279 broken waterlines. There are currently 153 active breaks. As of this morning, 1,549 residential customers and 149 businesses are affected by service interruptions as the result of water being turned off. Since the start of this winter weather event, the Tulsa Fire Department has responded to 207 private water line calls.

Crews will work 24/7 until the waterline situation improves. Thirty crews will be out today and throughout the weekend to address these broken waterlines.

Repairs will be prioritized based on when the waterlines were shut down. The City’s main focus is to repair waterlines and restore service to all affected customers.

To improve customer wait times when reporting waterline breaks, customers can call Water Dispatch at (918) 596-9488 or Sewer Dispatch at (918) 586-6999.

Additionally, customers can report waterline breaks via email, with no wait times, to waterbreaks@cityoftulsa.org.

Conserve Water

Though the water levels in the City’s storage tanks are continuing to rise, the City is asking residents to continue to conserve water. Though individual service interruptions should be expected only for those directly impacted by these waterline breaks, Tulsa residents and those who utilize the City’s water system are asked to conserve water to preserve tank levels.

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

The City has created an interactive map that provides additional information on waterline breaks as they happen and are repaired. View the map at: https://maps.cityoftulsa.org/watermainbreaks   

Water Pump Update

Yesterday, crews were able to fix the pump leak at the Mohawk Water Treatment Plant, fixing both the primary and backup pumps. Water pressure has been returned to normal levels. Affected customers are 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.

Water Stations Open

Yesterday, the River Spirit Expo center delivered potable water to more than 75 people. For impacted customers who need water, River Spirit Expo and ALL Tulsa Fire Stations are available. Customers must bring their own containers.

Details are as follows:

• River Spirit Expo Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Tulsa Fire Stations Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Masks are required at both the Expo and the fire stations
• If you’re at a fire station, please be patient, as many firefighters are working on high levels of calls for service - To access the expo, enter from  the south main lobby at Gate 2 - Parking will be available near the Tulsa Golden Driller
• For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 and do not show up at a fire station

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
• Call a plumber if running water does not flow to your pipes in a reasonable amount of time – if the pipe is located on an exterior wall, it’s imperative to act swiftly

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

Snow & Ice Response

Snow quickly melted yesterday on arterial streets throughout the city as the sun was out most of the day. Employees from other departments have started being released from snow and ice response to go back to their regular job duties.

Overnight, brine crews and salt trucks treated refreeze and slick spots as needed.

Pothole repairs have commenced today in areas where potholes have appeared due to the weather conditions.

Some crews will be on standby over the weekend to address emergency pothole repairs. To report potholes in Tulsa, residents can call 311 on business days, report potholes through Tulsa311.com