Tulsa's water usage declines but voluntary rationing remains in effect
BY Staff Reports
Saturday, August 04, 2012
8/04/12 at 12:40 PM
Tulsa's water usage declined slightly Friday, but voluntary water rationing will remain in effect for city residents.
The city's water customers consumed 199 million gallons Friday, according to city officials early Saturday. It's the first time since Sunday that water usage was under 200 million gallons.
The voluntary rationing also applies to residents of Jenks, Owasso and Bixby who receive water from the city of Tulsa.
The rationing order is triggered when water use tops 197 million gallons per day for two consecutive days. Should the city's water usage exceed 204 million gallons two days in a row, the voluntary water restrictions announced Tuesday by Mayor Dewey Bartlett would become mandatory.
Those restrictions include limiting outside watering to between midnight and noon every other day, based on odd-even address numbers. Even-numbered street addresses can water on even-numbered calendar days, and odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days.
Bixby officials have appealed to residents for better compliance with the voluntary water restrictions. They are asking households, neighborhood associations and business owners to scale back on watering lawns and landscaping to ensure that the city maintains adequate water pressure for firefighting purposes.
Water usage
Here's a look at Tulsa's water usage (in million gallons) in recent days. If two consecutive days top 204 million gallons, voluntary water rationing will become mandatory:
Sunday: 198.1
Monday: 207.3
Tuesday: 202.1
Wednesday: 204.6
Thursday: 202.6
Friday: 199.0
Tulsa water use restriction stages
197 mgd: If water use tops 197 million gallons per day (mgd) for two consecutive days, voluntary water restrictions will begin. Customers are asked to limit outside watering to the hours between midnight and noon every other day, based on odd-even address numbers.
204 mgd: If water use tops 204 mgd for two consecutive days, voluntary restrictions would become mandatory.
210 mgd: If water use tops 210 mgd for two days, watering would be restricted to the hours between midnight and noon every other day and with the use of a hand-held hose only.
Higher: If use grows higher, then outside watering could be prohibited.
Associated Images:
A heavy-duty sprinkler sprays water onto a baseball field at LaFortune Park in Tulsa. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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