City works to stop water leaks, curb demand

Oklahoma City had crews running “every which way” Monday to stop leaks contributing to unrelenting water demand despite the retreat of freezing weather, Utilities spokeswoman Jennifer McClintock said.

Afternoon temperatures hit the low 60s, a far cry from below-zero weather that wreaked havoc last week.

Utilities crews, in some instances, were responding to reports from neighbors of water literally flowing out of vacant houses with broken pipes, McClintock said.

Tests showed water remained safe to drink through several days of low water pressure last week. After conducting 55 targeted tests, the department returned to its normal testing schedule.

A voluntary boil advisory, issued as a precaution for neighborhoods that experienced lengthy water service interrupt ions, expired Sunday night.

Water mains continued to break and leak, though, and demand was heavy through the weekend.

As weather moderated, Utilities officials said it was no longer necessary to drip water from indoor taps.

Despite those pleas, the Hefner and Draper water treatment plants pumped at maximum wintertime capacity, 175 million gallons per day, through the weekend, more than double the usual February load.

“We need customers and property managers to check for leaks, especially vacant properties,” McClintock wrote in an email.

City crews turned off water to private properties pending repairs and were repairing leaking meters and fire hydrants.

“People need to start turning off dripping faucets as temperatures climb above freezing ,” McClintock wrote Sunday. “Check your home and businesses for leaks and get them repaired quickly.”