Water usage levels return to average levels since wintry weather spike

Alexander Ewald, Enid News & Eagle, Okla.
·2 min read

Feb. 26—ENID, Okla. — The weeks-long icy winter weather crisis is coming to an end as Enid's water usage levels have mostly returned to normal, city officials said Friday.

City total usage fell back to about 8 million gallons Thursday, following a sharp daily decline since Monday from unusually high levels stemming from the snowstorms.

Water usage had spiked to more than 12.42 million gallons being used by Feb. 18, while the city has averaged between 7.5-8 million a day this month.

Director of Public Utilities David Hunter on Friday said this uptake was due to both the thousands dripping their faucets and to the hundreds of calls the city received from residents without water or with a burst pipe — all as a result of the winter weather storm.

Hunter said public utilities workers have been responding to two main breaks a night, as well as to several other emergency shutoffs.

"This (increase) made it seem like it was 115 degrees in the middle of July and everyone was watering their grass," he said.

Hunter said going back to Presidents' Day, he doesn't think his staff has had a night off work, either going out to turn off the water or to respond to a main break.

Since temperatures began to warm up late last week, Hunter said residents aren't dripping their water taps, unconcerned with shutoffs, while plumbers are fixing private water lines or main breaks.

"Dripping your faucet might not seem like much, but if 50,000 people drip their faucets, there's going to be a cumulative effect," he said.

Assistant City Manager Scott Morris said last week's notice asking residents to limit their water usage wasn't meant to be a scare tactic.

"It's just we wanted to be careful and take preventative measures," before a warning such as a boil-water notice became necessary, he said in a Facebook Live video Monday.

Residents can continue to report water issues by calling (580) 233-0400.

Ewald is copy editor and city/education reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Send an email to aewald@enidnews.com.