Bartlesville Water Levels Still Low Despite Recent Rainfall

People living in Bartlesville are still being asked to do what they can to limit water use.

City leaders say there is still a lot more water that needs to fall before things get better.

On a typical July afternoon, the Sooner Park splash pad would be filled with families, but all summer it has been closed in an effort to conserve water.

“I don’t think you notice it until you walk around and you see the empty slides, no water, no kids,” said Cecilia Betterton, a Bartlesville resident. “It’s pretty quiet now.”

Betterton says it is hard to keep up with all of the disruptions caused by the low water levels.

Water utilities director Terry Lauritsen says the city is operating with 57% of its water supply right now. That low number is prompting conservation efforts, which includes rate increases and staggered watering days for lawns.

“We’ve been under an exceptional drought, which is the worst classification for a drought, really since late August or early September of last year,” said Lauritsen. 

Lauritsen says the city’s drinking water mainly comes from Hulah and Copan lakes. He estimates rainfall amounts are 20 inches below normal for the year.

“The watersheds that feed those lakes is really in southeast Kansas, and that's the area that's really been experiencing the extreme drought,” said Lauritsen.

The recent rainfall is a welcomed sight, but leaders say there is still a long ways to go. The city says it has backup options if things get worse.