BIXBY, Okla. — The City of Bixby recently sent a letter to residents stating it failed to monitor or test for lead and copper in the water between July 1 and December 31 of 2025.
Despite the missed testing target, city officials say the water is safe to drink and not contaminated. The letter noted that customers are not at risk, and the city does not expect adverse health effects.
"All samples came back under the required thresholds for lead and copper," Bixby Public Works Assistant Director Nathan Radach said.
Radach said Bixby is required to test for copper and lead in 60 homes. During the second half of last year, the city obtained only 26 samples.
"It's not that we can go to any home and obtain samples. And the samples have to be done from inside the house, and the water has to sit in the pipes for at least 6 hours before we sample. So it's a very difficult sample to obtain," Radach said.
Ashley Reed and her family moved to Bixby last summer. She tells 2 News Oklahoma that an issue like this isn't something she ever considered.
"I mean, we have filters in place to protect ourselves from mistakes and stuff. But you'd like not to think about it," Reed said.
The letter sent to residents stated the problem will not be resolved until June 30.
"We have to obtain 60 samples every 6 months. So the problem will be resolved in June when we have obtained the 60 samples for the first half of 2026," Radach said.
To ensure they hit their target, Radach said the city updated how it gets samples by increasing its list from around 60 homes to 100.
"It'll be good to have the testing done to let us know," Reed said.
Radach says the reason they sent the letter out wasn't to scare people, but to be transparent.
He says once they hit 60 in this six-month cycle, testing goes from twice a year to once a year.
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