Boil order issued for Bixby neighborhood waiting for water restoration

I’ve been in communication with Bixby city officials and am working with them to resolve this issue. I’ve been in contact with a number of agencies trying to find a solution and will continue working with them until the water is back on.

As the most remote and highest portion of the Bixby utility service area, the properties surrounding Bixhoma Lake are particularly vulnerable to water distribution system fluctuations. In order to mitigate variabilities in daily and seasonal water pressure supply received from the Tulsa system over the long term, a booster pump station was budgeted for Fiscal Year 2023, beginning July 1^st of this year. The construction contract for this project was awarded on July 11^th, coincident with funding availability.

Unfortunately, earlier this week the Bixhoma system experienced significant, unauthorized use which greatly reduced the operating buffer levels in our storage tanks, which to this point in the summer had performed without incident. As tank levels began to drop on Wednesday, City Staff initiated emergency operation responses measures. Transmission lines were switched to provide dedicated services to south and east Bixby to maximize water flow and pressure to that area. Staff began system data collection and analysis, such as storage tank levels, line pressures, and water consumption. This information is being utilized to identify systems impacts and guide response recovery measures. The objective is to stabilize water pressure and flow to the Bixhoma area as well as restore water storage tank levels.

Field crews have been working on two (2) fronts. They are providing an emergency potable water supply station for affected residents and are also working to purge entrapped air from affected lines. In an effort to accelerate the process, crews are hauling and adding additional water to the system.

The speed at which these efforts can be brought to completion are dependent on available system pressures and water volumes. Therefore, we request that all Bixby customers make every effort to conserve water over the next few days, so that we can restore service to our neighbors. Crucial time periods to tank level recovery are during the overnight and early morning hours. We will continue to implement the actions outlined above in the days ahead until operations return to normal.

The City does not have any record of a request for Emergency Water Use or withdrawal by Wagoner County No. 4 nor has any emergency permission been granted for use by outside water providers. Nor has any Emergency Permission been granted for any amount of water use, let alone the significant amounts withdrawn from the Bixhoma area system earlier this week.

No water billings have been issued or payments received for July usage.

Bixhoma Lake Water Supply Activity

1. Booster Pump acquisition and construction approved
2. 7/13 (Wednesday) morning – all system operations normal
3. 7/13 (Wednesday) midday – tank levels continued to fall throughout the day
4. Low tank levels prompted emergency operation response
   - ​Mingo transmission line switched to provide dedicated service to south and east Bixby only
   - Data collection to review and monitor system impacts over time
   
   1. System pressures – from Tulsa connection to Bixhoma Water Storage tank
   2. Tank level
   3. Water usage
   - Identified and stopped unprecedented, unauthorized water usage.
   - Identify line segments with entrapped air due to drop in tank level
   - Begin purging air from affected lines
   - Isolate primary supply line to the Bixhoma water tank
   - Begin water addition to Bixhoma supply line to accelerate air purging
5. Provide emergency portable water supply station for residents