A recent public meeting regarding the Wilcox Superfund site raised some questions about the City water supply. I'd like to shed some light on the subject.
First, our municipal water supply is in no way impacted by the above-mentioned site. Period. We can safely put that issue to rest.
Our water is supplied by the Ada-Vamoosa aquifer, which underlies approximately 2320 square miles of parts of Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Creek, Lincoln, Okfuskee and Seminole Counties. Approximately 75% of the water withdrawn from the Ada-Vamoosa aquifer is for municipal use. Rural domestic use and water for livestock animals account for most of the remaining use.
Laboratory and on-site chemical data indicate that mineralization is 'greater than normal' in some areas. This explains the 'hardness' of our water and is to be expected because of the geology of the area. Water samples show mineralization levels - comprised of sodium bicarbonate or sodium calcium bicarbonate - that are safe. (pubs.usgs.gov) Because our municipal water is from a ground-water source, it is not necessary for it to be processed through a water treatment facility. Water from the wells in Bristow is tested daily: seven days a week, water samples from each active well are drawn and tested for pH, temperature and chlorine level. Bacterial levels (E. coli) are tested monthly. Other tests are conducted quarterly, semi-annually or annually as required by the DEQ and/or EPA.
Water reports are available at http://sdwis.deq.state.ok.us/D WW/CCReports. A word of caution, though: they can be confusing. A participant at a recent DEQ/EPA meeting voiced concern about a 'violation' concerning arsenic. The 'violation' was simply a notice that a sample to test for arsenic had not been submitted. The reason it was not submitted was because the well in question was off-line (not in use.) In short, it was no more than a clerical error. The municipal water in Bristow is safe. We have the annual report available at City Hall for anyone to see.
As always, I welcome your questions.