TULSA'S WATER GOES DOWN THE DRAIN!

[RecycleMichael]

A one-time suburban Chicago official was convicted Monday of lying for decades about drawing water for residents from a well the village knew was tainted by a cancer-causing chemical.
Prosecutors say she and other officials decided to pump the cheaper, polluted well water to score points with voters: They could boast about keeping water rates low. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/29/suburban-chicago-official-convicted-lying-about-drawing-water-from-tainted-well/

Who would we have in Tulsa that would safeguard against something like this?

The state Department of Environmental Quality has primacy in Oklahoma drinking water protection. They are pretty thorough in my opinion.

[Gaspar]

Had my pool resurfaced this weekend.  Added water and started the process of regulating the chemistry.  PH tested in excess of 9 (that was all my tester would go up to).  That's about the PH of seawater. So at first I just figured it was due to the new plaster augmenting the results, but then I tested the tap water and sure enough 9+ on PH.  Alkalinity was normal, so the cause is related to very high amounts of dissolved solids in the water.  To make sure it wasn't just a fluke at my house, I tested at my in-laws last night in midtown with a different tester.  Sure enough, 9+ on PH.

Back when I used to have a bad Koi habit, I had several Koi ponds and typically measured Tulsa tap water PH before adding to ponds (it was around 6.2-6.9).  I'm not sure if this is a side affect of the new water treatment or not, but this high PH means any appliance that uses water is going to fill with scale quickly.  It also means that food, and beverages made with the water are going to be rather flat and bitter tasting.  If you have a swimming pool, you are going to have to invest in significantly more acid to normalize your water.  If you use Tulsa water to irrigate your lawn, you will likely have to add lots of amendments to get good root growth.  High PH will inhibit good root growth and cause burned up lawns in the summer.

At first I wasn't that concerned about the water treatment changes in Tulsa, but this is a radical and costly change.  It means that we all will have additional expenses related to correcting the PH or replacing equipment due to it!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Had my pool resurfaced this weekend.  Added water and started the process of regulating the chemistry.  PH tested in excess of 9 (that was all my tester would go up to).  That's about the PH of seawater. So at first I just figured it was due to the new plaster augmenting the results, but then I tested the tap water and sure enough 9+ on PH.  Alkalinity was normal, so the cause is related to very high amounts of dissolved solids in the water.  To make sure it wasn't just a fluke at my house, I tested at my in-laws last night in midtown with a different tester.  Sure enough, 9+ on PH.

Back when I used to have a bad Koi habit, I had several Koi ponds and typically measured Tulsa tap water PH before adding to ponds (it was around 6.2-6.9).  I'm not sure if this is a side affect of the new water treatment or not, but this high PH means any appliance that uses water is going to fill with scale quickly.  It also means that food, and beverages made with the water are going to be rather flat and bitter tasting.  If you have a swimming pool, you are going to have to invest in significantly more acid to normalize your water.  If you use Tulsa water to irrigate your lawn, you will likely have to add lots of amendments to get good root growth.  High PH will inhibit good root growth and cause burned up lawns in the summer.

At first I wasn't that concerned about the water treatment changes in Tulsa, but this is a radical and costly change.  It means that we all will have additional expenses related to correcting the PH or replacing equipment due to it!

Every part of town I have lived in has had ph of 8 (or higher) - going back to early 70's - but then I have always lived in the "cheap seats" sections of town - have always had big issues getting it lowered for the aquariums - lots of acid.  The carp (goldfish/koi) seemed to do ok with a little higher, but everyone else was always very sensitive to it.  Set up an aquarium in BA for family and it had very high ph at the time, too....like what you are seeing.


As for watering with tap water....well, don't.  Let the bermuda turn brown, then back green when it rains...won't "burn up" nearly as bad and won't have the damage to the plants that tap water gives.

[Gaspar]

Every part of town I have lived in has had ph of 8 (or higher) - going back to early 70's - but then I have always lived in the "cheap seats" sections of town - have always had big issues getting it lowered for the aquariums - lots of acid.  The carp (goldfish/koi) seemed to do ok with a little higher, but everyone else was always very sensitive to it.  Set up an aquarium in BA for family and it had very high ph at the time, too....like what you are seeing.


As for watering with tap water....well, don't.  Let the bermuda turn brown, then back green when it rains...won't "burn up" nearly as bad and won't have the damage to the plants that tap water gives.

We had fluctuations in the past that I noticed, but never as high as it is now.  I don't even have a test kit that will measure how high it is above 9.  As for BA, they have ridiculously bad water.  My father in-law is a developer out there and says that residents have to clean out the screens on their taps several times a year, and water heaters only last about half as long as in other places.

As for grass, I don't have any bermuda. . .all fescue, and letting it brown is not an option.  I like a plush lawn, and so do my kids. Just means that I'll be spreading lots of extra sulfur this year.

[carltonplace]

Speaking of Tulsa Water: my water meter has not been read for more than a year. I can tell that no one has lifted the lid because it has about an inch of soil covering one side of it. How does the city know what my usage is? Are they just guessing? I canvased my neighbors and they said they have not been read either.

[RecycleMichael]

They are read electronically. They just wave their handheld reader nearby.

[heironymouspasparagus]

We had fluctuations in the past that I noticed, but never as high as it is now.  I don't even have a test kit that will measure how high it is above 9.  As for BA, they have ridiculously bad water.  My father in-law is a developer out there and says that residents have to clean out the screens on their taps several times a year, and water heaters only last about half as long as in other places.

As for grass, I don't have any bermuda. . .all fescue, and letting it brown is not an option.  I like a plush lawn, and so do my kids. Just means that I'll be spreading lots of extra sulfur this year.

Thin out the trees and get more bermuda!  Or move to Las Vegas - land of the lush lawn!!


I have one family member whose house I am in charge of maintenance in BA - older part of town - near 81st and Elm.  Have replaced water heater twice in 25 years.  But then part of that longer life may be the ongoing maintenance I do between - I have one air conditioner system I try to keep up that is still running pretty well at 38 years old...needs replacement.

Have had screens 'rot' away but usually after very long times, and usually takes a couple years for their screens to get blocked.  Have noticed the taste of the water goes through phases...sometimes worse sometimes better.  I put one of the PUR faucet filters on their sink, and the filter cartridge lasts 30 - 60 days at most, so there is a lot of something being taken out.  Same thing in Tulsa usually goes 90 + days.  Much to do with condition of mains and distance from treatment plant, I'm sure.  And developer probably deals mostly with newer areas, so new pipes may make a difference....construction debris left in pipe...  Oh, yeah...amazing what is left in new pipes!  Most people don't wanna know.

[Conan71]

Had my pool resurfaced this weekend.  Added water and started the process of regulating the chemistry.  PH tested in excess of 9 (that was all my tester would go up to).  That's about the PH of seawater. So at first I just figured it was due to the new plaster augmenting the results, but then I tested the tap water and sure enough 9+ on PH.  Alkalinity was normal, so the cause is related to very high amounts of dissolved solids in the water.  To make sure it wasn't just a fluke at my house, I tested at my in-laws last night in midtown with a different tester.  Sure enough, 9+ on PH.

Back when I used to have a bad Koi habit, I had several Koi ponds and typically measured Tulsa tap water PH before adding to ponds (it was around 6.2-6.9).  I'm not sure if this is a side affect of the new water treatment or not, but this high PH means any appliance that uses water is going to fill with scale quickly.  It also means that food, and beverages made with the water are going to be rather flat and bitter tasting.  If you have a swimming pool, you are going to have to invest in significantly more acid to normalize your water.  If you use Tulsa water to irrigate your lawn, you will likely have to add lots of amendments to get good root growth.  High PH will inhibit good root growth and cause burned up lawns in the summer.

At first I wasn't that concerned about the water treatment changes in Tulsa, but this is a radical and costly change.  It means that we all will have additional expenses related to correcting the PH or replacing equipment due to it!

Are you sure your testing reagents haven't gone bad?  That is a really extreme swing.  pH 7.0 to 8.4 is what I've been used to seeing out of the tap.  I'll have to check that when I get home tonight.

[Gaspar]

Are you sure your testing reagents haven't gone bad?  That is a really extreme swing.  pH 7.0 to 8.4 is what I've been used to seeing out of the tap.  I'll have to check that when I get home tonight.

I thought about that too, so I used a new set at my in-laws, and since again at home.  Also used some brand new strips that came with my new chlorine generator.  All readings are in excess of 9.  I think we may have some sent to a lab.  I'd like to know the content of the dissolved minerals.

[Red Arrow]

I'd like to know the content of the dissolved minerals.

Are you sure?

[Hoss]

Are you sure?

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

When planet Earth population reaches tens of billions, there is no way we will be able to ignore such a massive source of protein...it will happen! 

[patric]

Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Louisiana Tap Water Treated Same As Tulsa's

http://www.newson6.com/story/26540102/brain-eating-amoeba-found-in-louisiana-tap-water-treated-same-as-tulsas

[sgrizzle]

Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Louisiana Tap Water Treated Same As Tulsa's

http://www.newson6.com/story/26540102/brain-eating-amoeba-found-in-louisiana-tap-water-treated-same-as-tulsas

Misleading headline alert.

Treated with the same chemical, but not in the same way.

[Red Arrow]

Misleading headline alert.
Treated with the same chemical, but not in the same way.

Then what are the differences?  Tulsa evidently flushes the dead end pipes but I would consider that maintenance rather than treatment.