Boil advisory issued for Oklahoma City Water as precaution

Last Updated on February 18, 2021, 11:50 PM | Published: February 18, 2021

The City of Oklahoma City has issued a voluntary boil advisory to residents after receiving a recommendation from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

The advisory is termed to be “precautionary” and “voluntary.”

Various water systems throughout the state have been hit with different degrees of pressure issues during the extreme cold weather and power outages that have affected the water supplies of cities throughout the state.

Oklahoma City

For residents on the Oklahoma City Water system, which includes some of the smaller cities within the larger metro like The Village, the advisory will expire within 72 hours from Thursday evening unless customers are notified earlier that is is no longer necessary.

“We have confidence our water is just as safe to drink as it has always been,” said Utilities Department Director, Chris Browning. “But out of an abundance of caution, after consulting with DEQ, we think this voluntary advisory is appropriate.”

The news release from the City of Oklahoma City Utilities department late Thursday evening assured residents that the City has its own testing laboratory where water quality is monitored and tested “on a continual basis.”

“We also follow very strict protocols to ensure water quality when water mains are repaired and placed back into service after a main break,” the advisory read.

The advisory says that low-water pressure does not compromise water quality.

However, one Free Press source with knowledge of water systems says that if pressure in a system drops below 25 psi there is a potential for cave-ins of older lines or of outside water getting sucked into the system because of the vacuum.

If you had NO water

The advisory specifically targets customers who had their water pressure drop out completely.

The City advises that those who had no pressure for a time and want to boil water as a precaution should follow DEQ recommendations.

• Boil and cool water before drinking it, cooking with it, brushing their teeth with it or ingesting it in any way (tea, coffee, ice, etc.).
• People with skin wounds or other conditions should consider avoiding bathing in the water, or they may consult with a physician.
• If your pet has special health concerns, consult with a veterinarian, or give it boiled water and cooled.

Some customers who have had restored water service have reported discolored water coming from their tap. The City advises those customers to let their tap water run until it clears.