BIXBY, Okla. — A number of Bixby families have voiced their frustrations after saying they've gone days, sometimes weeks, with low water pressure in the morning.
John Jones told 2 News he started to notice the issue a couple months ago.
WATCH: City of Bixby addresses citizen complaints of low water pressure
"It seemed like almost on a daily basis, it was progressively getting worse and worse until it got to the point that we had no water coming out this morning," Jones said.
Down the road, Candice Conner says she's experienced something similar.
"This morning, my daughter came downstairs and was like Mom, there's something wrong with our water. I was like, what do you mean? She said our faucets won't come on upstairs," Conner said.
The common theme for both families, and those on social media, is that they wake up with little to no water pressure, see it improve throughout the day, then the cycle repeats the next day.
The city of Bixby posted on Facebook that their teams have been out repairing water lines and investigating a significant leak in the main feeder line. Their full statement to 2 News is below.
As for other impacts, the city announced the splash pad at Bentley Park would be closed on August 13 and 14, calling it non-essential water and that shutting it off helps maintain water pressure everywhere else.
Until the issue gets fixed, people in town continue dealing with the effects.
"Oh man, time. Time is money," Conner said. "I mean you're late for work, you're late for school."
"I actually ran late to work this morning because I couldn't take a shower, I couldn't get ready for the day, I couldn't brush my teeth because it stopped at one point," Jones added. "I can't get ready for work if i don't have water."
Here is the city's full statement they sent to 2 News:
The City of Bixby understands many residents are concerned about the low water pressure they are experiencing.
The City’s Public Works team is addressing several issues affecting the water system, including a significant leak on a main feeder line discovered Monday just outside of Bixby. Crews have been working since then to locate and repair the leak.
On Wednesday, City staff met with the City’s water engineer to review current conditions and historical system information. Staff also tested system adjustments Wednesday evening, but because pressure decreased in some areas, those changes are being reversed.
This morning, the City was notified that a main line connected to one of Bixby’s primary feeder lines was struck by a contractor just north of the City, which may be contributing to today’s increased pressure issues.
Throughout the day, Public Works crews identified and corrected additional issues affecting the system, including a valve configuration that was limiting water flow to portions of the community. Once corrected, staff confirmed that water pressure had returned to normal in several neighborhoods that had previously experienced low pressure. The City has also reduced irrigation at parks and other non-essential functions to reduce system load.
The City is also working with the City of Tulsa to evaluate water supply and identify ways to improve service. Crews are monitoring the system and making adjustments as they work to identify the best solutions to improve water pressure both now and in the long term. Currently, planned improvements include increasing a waterline near Kimberly-Clark from 12 inches to 24 inches, as well as additional line upgrades along Mingo Road.
The Bixby Fire Department remains fully staffed, equipped and has plans and resources in place to address changing conditions within the water system and will use the appropriate resources to respond safely and effectively.
In the meantime, water customers are encouraged to conserve water whenever possible. Reducing water use will help lower demand on the system while crews continue their work.
The City will provide additional updates through the City of Bixby’s Facebook page and Nixle Alerts. Residents can sign up for Nixle Alerts here.
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