Lake Hefner at record low water levels, when will city buy Canton water?

[David]

Surely there can be a happy medium between a fully concrete environment and regularly flooding streets with overwatering.

[Midtowner]

Its interesting we always talk on here about oKC being ugly due to the massive use of concrete and lack of landscaping, yet there also appears this thread with post like what little landscaping exists here in the natural grassland of america should not be watered/taken care of.

which is it guys? do we want a beautiful city full of trees and grass fit for the grassland/cross-timber region OKC is in OR do we want a Phoenix or ABQ-style landscaping that is foreign to this area just for the sake of not watering? I'm confused.

As is per usual, folks are consuming media about ewater shortages in the American West and thinking that applies to Oklahoma. It very much doesn't. In fact, our most immediate backup water supply comes from western Oklahoma with an absolutely massive reservoir of untapped water in the East.

This thread at times borders on ridiculous. At no time in the next 100+ years is central Oklahoma looking at a water shortage. In fact, many metropoli such as the DFW can't make similar claims. Unfortunately, the media in DFW and other similar areas barks up a storm about impending water crises whereas OWRB and OKC's water utility keeps quietly going about its business doing a bang-up job.

So businesses are free to water the streets. Feel free to water your lawns every day. OKC is fine. If you want to have an ugly yard that's zero maintenance, xeriscaping is fine.

All I ask is that folks who want to be chicken littles about the water situation in central Oklahoma, please keep it to yourselves or at least back up your doom and gloom with facts relevant to central Oklahoma.

[HangryHippo]

As is per usual, folks are consuming media about ewater shortages in the American West and thinking that applies to Oklahoma. It very much doesn't. In fact, our most immediate backup water supply comes from western Oklahoma with an absolutely massive reservoir of untapped water in the East.

This thread at times borders on ridiculous. At no time in the next 100+ years is central Oklahoma looking at a water shortage. In fact, many metropoli such as the DFW can't make similar claims. Unfortunately, the media in DFW and other similar areas barks up a storm about impending water crises whereas OWRB and OKC's water utility keeps quietly going about its business doing a bang-up job.

So businesses are free to water the streets. Feel free to water your lawns every day. OKC is fine. If you want to have an ugly yard that's zero maintenance, xeriscaping is fine.

All I ask is that folks who want to be chicken littles about the water situation in central Oklahoma, please keep it to yourselves or at least back up your doom and gloom with facts relevant to central Oklahoma.

There’s zero reason to not be careful with the water (i.e. not water the streets), drought or not.

[BoulderSooner]

There’s zero reason to not be careful with the water (i.e. not water the streets), drought or not.

there is no reason in OKC to be careful with water ..

[HangryHippo]

there is no reason in OKC to be careful with water ..

Another insightful post from you.

[BoulderSooner]

Another insightful post from you.

and yet another fact ..

[jedicurt]

and yet another fact ..

care to elaborate on this fact?

[BoulderSooner]

care to elaborate on this fact?

OKC has enough water and water rights to last for 100 years ..... anyone saying other wise is making stuff up ..

[Midtowner]

There’s zero reason to not be careful with the water (i.e. not water the streets), drought or not.

There's zero reason to attack those businesses for something which harms no one.

--of course, if you just washed your car, those hard water spots are pretty annoying.

[jedicurt]

OKC has enough water and water rights to last for 100 years ..... anyone saying other wise is making stuff up ..

won't argue with that. but that doesn't dispute the fact that if there is something we can do to prolong those resources, we should. i'm not saying that we should limit everything. but if there are some small steps we can take to prolong what we have, there is still no reason not to, regardless of how much we have in reserve.

[Midtowner]

won't argue with that. but that doesn't dispute the fact that if there is something we can do to prolong those resources, we should. i'm not saying that we should limit everything. but if there are some small steps we can take to prolong what we have, there is still no reason not to, regardless of how much we have in reserve.

That's not really how surface water works. We're using surface water in OKC, and with surface water, you either use it or send it downstream. So in essence, not using it is tantamount to committing waste as I don't know of any downstream users of OKC water who are reliant on OKC sending them water.

I'd change my tune if there was anyone talking about a multistate compact on water rights including the OKC rights, but no one is talking about doing that.

Very arguably, if you are the kind of person who truly enjoys turning on your water hose and watching a stream of water slowly go down the street into the sewer drain, not doing so is arguably wasteful.

[Bill Robertson]

won't argue with that. but that doesn't dispute the fact that if there is something we can do to prolong those resources, we should. i'm not saying that we should limit everything. but if there are some small steps we can take to prolong what we have, there is still no reason not to, regardless of how much we have in reserve.

And just a matter of extra wear and tear on the water systems, extra chemicals the city has to buy, etc. for silly and easily reeled in over uses of water. Are we going to run out. No. But conservation can be about doing the smart things.

[Jake]

This thread convinced me that my daily 6-hour-long showers aren't actually wasteful. Phew, thank goodness!

[Bill Robertson]

This thread convinced me that my daily 6-hour-long showers aren't actually wasteful. Phew, thank goodness!

Wow! I can imagine the prune effect! And now I want to unsee it!

[gjl]

I counted 7 hydrants open in my neighborhood last Saturday for at least 6 hours. Streets were flooded with water. There has been a small river of water running from around 43rd and Libby, south to 42nd street then west to the storm drain at 42nd and meridian for about 10 days now from what must be a leaking underground main. I saw hydrants all around Will Rogers park open for hours on Oct 19th. So much that people on Next Door were commenting about it. And I know they have to occasionally flush the lines but the hours of water coming out of multiple hydrants is huge compared to a few sprinkler heads watering the street. I'm sure these line flushes are occurring all over the city. every day.

[mugofbeer]

won't argue with that. but that doesn't dispute the fact that if there is something we can do to prolong those resources, we should. i'm not saying that we should limit everything. but if there are some small steps we can take to prolong what we have, there is still no reason not to, regardless of how much we have in reserve.

I would be interested in the long term reuse of water such as, someday, being able to pump water back upstream on Arkansas, Canadien(s) and Red Rivers.

[Swake]

I would be interested in the long term reuse of water such as, someday, being able to pump water back upstream on Arkansas, Canadien(s) and Red Rivers.

Tulsa does put it's treated sewer water into the Arkansas River.

[Snowman]

Tulsa does put it's treated sewer water into the Arkansas River.

It is not like Tulsa is the first city putting it's treated sewer water into it, or even first metro of size.

[SEMIweather]

I counted 7 hydrants open in my neighborhood last Saturday for at least 6 hours. Streets were flooded with water. There has been a small river of water running from around 43rd and Libby, south to 42nd street then west to the storm drain at 42nd and meridian for about 10 days now from what must be a leaking underground main. I saw hydrants all around Will Rogers park open for hours on Oct 19th. So much that people on Next Door were commenting about it. And I know they have to occasionally flush the lines but the hours of water coming out of multiple hydrants is huge compared to a few sprinkler heads watering the street. I'm sure these line flushes are occurring all over the city. every day.

AFAIK the sewers can give the city a call if they're ever feeling thirsty. Think they've been calling more and more lately due to the ongoing drought.

[Bellaboo]

Yukon has been dumping its treated water in the N Canadian for many many years.

[Bill Robertson]

Where does OKCs go. It has to go somewhere.

[HOT ROD]

N Canadian

[Jeremy Martin]

Seems like they should be putting it back into the area city lakes for reuse.

[Midtowner]

Seems like they should be putting it back into the area city lakes for reuse.

You should write them a letter. I'm sure they could use the help.

[bombermwc]

Conserving water is EVERYONE'S responsibility. Just like you should be conserving electricity. Being wasteful with either is just showing yourself to be a jacka$$. You're telling others that you have enough money (or lack of concern) that you can just throw it away with no consideration of what an impact that has on others. That use and toss and "i'll do what i want for myself" mentality is far too common in a particular (not young) generation.

As for treated water, yes it goes back in to the water source and has to meet a high standard from the EPA in order to do that. And the systems are regularly inspected to ensure that they are meeting both the content and temperature requirements to do so. The solid hockey puck of nasty that's left over, can be properly disposed of. You should be far more concerned with the raw diaper poopies in the landfills. That's the literal crap that works its way down into the ground water eventually. If you are not aware of the concern surround that little bit, go do a little googling. There's a reason why you're supposed to scrape the poopies off in to the toilet....but no one does it. I mean who wants to do that with a smeary squished one? No one, including me. But I didn't realize at the time, that I wasn't supposed to throw those in the trash....since everyone does that. If you work in healthcare, if someone soils the sheets, you do have to scrape it off to a certain degree before the laundry folks will take it (or at least they're supposed to treat it this way).