Updated February 18 at 5:25 p.m.
In the wake of this week’s damage to the state s water infrastructure, Oklahoma could soon face mandatory boil orders. Environment officials anticipate the damage and response will continue for weeks.
The Department of Environmental Quality issued a release on Thursday, warning that precautionary boil advisories could increase in coming days, and that mandatory boil orders are possible.
The release advised Oklahomans with extremely low water pressure or total water loss to notify their water service provider as quickly as possible and follow these recommendations:
Once the water comes back on, flush the water for five minutes or until fresh, clear water comes out of the tap.
Updated February 18 at 12:44 p.m.
Oklahoma City has been struggling to meet its water demand, and that will likely continue after the snow melts and temperatures rise above freezing.
Like power infrastructure across the state, Oklahoma City’s water infrastructure was stressed to the breaking point this week. The cold created a surge in demand. Dripping faucets drove water use up by 100 percent, according to city utilities director Chris Browning.
Additionally, the weather taxed the city’s ability to provide water. Power outages left facilities in the dark, and it was so cold that diesel for generators froze. Of course, burst pipes across the city affected the system. There have also been water main breaks.
Oklahoma Requests Federal Disaster Assistance Due To Winter Storms kosu.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kosu.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Updated February 17 at 10:11 a.m. Cities across Oklahoma are dealing with water line breaks amid record cold temperatures and power outages. On Wednesday
Unprecedented storm staggers OKC
Snowplows work to clear the road during a winter storm Sunday in Oklahoma City. Snow and ice blanketed large swaths of the U.S. on Sunday, prompting canceled flights, making driving perilous and reaching into areas as far south as Texas’ Gulf Coast, where snow and sleet were expected overnight. (AP photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY – A dangerous winter storm held Oklahoma in its icy grip Monday, shutting down businesses, prohibiting travel and depriving residents of basic needs like water and power.
By Monday afternoon, state officials were scrambling to support utilities running dangerously low on the fuel needed to keep residents warm and alive as temperatures plummeted below zero. Rolling blackouts designed to assure emergency power were affecting the region.