Frequently Asked Questions About Water
What is the hardness of my water?
The hardness of water depends on which plant serves your residence.
You can check the water service area map to if A.B. Jewell or
Mohawk Water Treatment Plant supplies your water. The average
hardness for A.B. Jewell runs 8.2 grains per gallon or 140 parts
per million. The average hardness for Mohawk runs 5.2 grains per
gallon or 89 parts per million.
What lakes supply the Water Treatment
Plants?
Lake Eucha and Spavinaw supply Mohawk. Lake Oologah supplies A.B.
Jewell.
I have seen the news reports about the chicken litter
polluting our water supply. How does the litter
pollute?
The main pollutant from the chicken litter is phosphorous, which
runs off from the soil when it rains. Phosphorous acts like a
fertilizer so when it gets into the lakes it causes algae blooms.
When the algae dies it produces a chemical called Geosmin. Geosmin
gives the water a musty smell and taste.
Is the water still safe to drink?
Yes, the water is treated to meet and exceed all federal, state,
and local water quality requirements. Recently, the water treatment
plants have installed granular activated carbon (GAC). This carbon
improves the taste and smell of the water. Geosmin is not
harmful it is found in high concentration in beats. When you cook
beets they give off the same earthy, musty smell. The City of Tulsa
also continuously monitors pH, turbidly, chlorine, and other water
quality tests every 4 hours. The distribution is tested with 200
samples per month.
How much water can the Water Treatment Plants
produce?
On average we treat 100 MGD. Can go up to 220 MGD. AB
Jewell can treat 120 MGD and Mohawk 100 MGD.
Drinking water looks cloudy when first taken from a
faucet what cause this?
The cloudy water is cause by air bubbles in the water similar to
the gas bubbles in carbonated soft drinks. Take a glass of water
and see if it clears up from the bottom to the top. If it clears up
this way then you know it is air bubbles. Cloudiness occurs
more often in the winter when the water is cold.
Why is my drinking water reddish or
brown?
The reddish-brown color is nontoxic, but it can stain clothing in
the wash and it looks bad. The possible causes are:
- Iron, found in the water pipes in the street leading to your
home or in your home may be rusting creating rusty-brown
water.
- The hot water tank may be rusting.
- Road construction or water line repairs can knock particles
inside the pipe loose.
If you are having trouble and your neighbors are not then your
own pipes or water heater probably are rusting. Letting the water
run a while will often clear the water.
What is the white film on my coffee pot and on my
dishes? How do I get rid of it?
This is caused by the "hardness" of the water. Two nontoxic
chemicals called minerals - calcium and magnesium, cause the
hardness. The minerals dissolve in water tend to settle our when
water is heated or are left behind when it evaporates. These
minerals are white and accumulate in coffee pots, showerhead, and
other dishes. To remove these minerals use vinegar or lemon juice
to clean and then rinse thoroughly.
What causes little black flecks to come out of my
tap?
The lining from a bitumen-lined main or plumbing may have
started to break down. Granular particles that smear when
rubbed between your fingers may be small pieces of rubber that are
"sloughing off" from rubber parts/hoses in contact with your water
over time. Sources of these include the reservoir plug in the
toilet water tank and black rubber tubing (often with a steel
braided outer covering) that is sometimes used in sink fixtures.
Some types of jacketed black rubber hose (Aqua-Flo) may deteriorate
in the presence of chlorinated or chloraminated water.
