BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — For the first time in over a year and a half, the city of Bartlesville moved out of all drought stages after rainfall over Christmas weekend.
Hulah Lake, which serves as the city's main water source, received about 3.5 feet. The added water brought the lake's levels above full.
"In December of 2022, it had progressed to a point where we had to start enacting water restrictions, so we do have a water shortage ordinance that has various thresholds depending on how much water supply is left," said Terry Lauritsen, the city's Director of Water Utilities. "We had gone to a stage three, and so in July we were able to move back to a stage one. It had progressed over time to a stage two in roughly October, November."
With the recent rainfall, though, the city was able to move off of all restrictions and any stages of the drought contingency plan.
Hulah Lake is one of the city's four water sources. While the water levels were out of the city's control for the most part, Lauritsen said the community support and collaboration really made an impact.
"We were asking for water conservation, we did have to increase the water rates during the summer so that helped to mitigate or reduce consumption through there," said Lauritsen. "I think everybody was thinking about it, there was a lot of people who did a tremendous amount of conservation and were pretty ingenious on how they were doing different items."
- Previous story>>> Bartlesville water restrictions lifted after heavy rains
Adair Rowan moved to Bartlesville right as restrictions were being rolled out across the city. He said he was used to the heat, as he moved from Houston, but had to get used to rationing his water.
"I never really thought about it because our water is usually free flowing I mean yeah you pay for it every month but nobody really thinks about it until you get an absorbent bill," said Rowan. "Limit your washing of your clothes so many times, trying to maybe make it one big load versus a bunch of smaller loads. And then you just kinda make a point not to not leave your water running like when you want to get glass of water or while brushing your teeth."
Ironically, while it wasn't something he ever focused on, Rowan said many of these practices have become subconscious habits now. He no longer leaves the sink running unnecessarily and is more mindful of his water usage.
- Previously story>>> City of Bartlesville enters phase 3 of water restrictions
Lauritsen said that is ideal. He still encourages the people of Bartlesville to be diligent with their water usage, as the conditions to bring the city back into drought territory still linger.
"The one thing with water is were all in it together, and it takes us all to move forward or to help conserve and fortunately our citizens were very good in doing that," said Lauritsen. "With the dry spring that we had last year, if we experience another unseasonable spring we may be back into another drought or water shortage situation so we will continue to monitor that."
After a tricky last year and a half in terms of water usage and costs, Lauritsen said it is no longer a resource he and his neighbors take for granted.
While Hulah Lake is now above where it needs to be, Copan Lake is still in critical condition. It still sits about 7 feet below where it needs to be, which is pulling Bartlesville's overall water supply down.
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