Quality

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Water Quality

City of Tulsa Lake Eucha and Spavinaw Lake Water Quality Drinking water

2008 Water Quality Report

Report front and page page information
Test Results

Archive Reports

Water is Life. Water covers two-thirds of the Planet Earth, and makes up nearly two-thirds of our bodies. And there is no new water! All the water on the planet is constantly being recycled. We must take care of this resource.

City employees work long hours to keep Tulsa’s drinking water and storm water safe and clean. Employees staff our treatment plants 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. These trained professionals not only monitor the results of computerized tests but also conduct tests themselves every two hours.

Pipes bring raw water from our source lakes Eucha, Spavinaw, Oologah and Hudson. Professionals test this water before it enters our two drinking water plants. Those tests provide information that tells us the quantities of chemicals needed for treatment.

Sediment in our source water is a major problem. The turbidity (cloudiness) of the water is monitored throughout the treatment process. Employees even monitor finished water as it travels through the distribution system. The City of Tulsa works hard to ensure that the water that comes out of the faucet is safe for drinking, cooking, bathing and other purposes.

But what about storm water? When it rains, the storm water runs into Tulsa’s creeks and waterways. This water carries with it pesticides, fertilizers, motor oil and antifreeze, chemicals and pet waste, as well as trash and litter from your neighborhood. These pollutants can kill fish and harm other animals and plants that live in our water. They also increase the amount of treatment required to make the water drinkable.

City employees regularly monitor streams and storm sewers across the City. In addition, City inspectors educate area businesses and homeowners. Many people do not understand that what they do in their own yard can pollute our water.

Stormwater in Tulsa flows either into Bird Creek or the Arkansas River. These two waterways are the primary watersheds in the Tulsa area. Bird Creek receives stormwater from the north and eastern sections of the city. It eventually flows into the Verdigris River. The Arkansas River receives stormwater runoff from western and southern Tulsa neighborhoods.

Each year the City of Tulsa provides a Water Quality Report for those who are using water treated by our Treatment Plants. This report meets a federal reporting requirement. Residents can view reports for previous years through the following links.