BIXBY, Okla. — The city of Bixby took new steps to address the water issues in town. The city announced a mandatory water conservation plan, tentatively set to run through September 18.
The plan limits outdoor watering to 6:00 pm - 6:00 am and doesn't allow watering on Sundays.
WATCH: 'It's frustrating': Water problems continue in Bixby
Homes with odd-numbered addresses can water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while even-numbered addresses can water Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
This comes as repairs continue on the Fry Ditch water line, and levels in the water tank near Lake Bixhoma continue to fluctuate. The water pressure issue is something we've covered from the beginning.
Craig Poindexter lives near the lake. Like many in that area, his family has battled the Bixby water issues the last couple weeks.
"You can't take showers, you can't do dishes, you can't do basic service stuff you need inside your house daily. If they say water is turned on, we hurry and take the showers and do the dishes and do whatever we can and don't waste any water but use what we need to."
Poindexter tells 2 News the water problem changes daily.
"You'll have zero water some days or it's just a trickle or it's a third of the pressure, and then sometimes in the evening time they are able to turn the system back on, and it comes back on for the evening time," Poindexter said. "So, it's really day by day."
The city shared a positive update at Fry Ditch. Temporary fixes appear to be working, and the city says water pressure has improved. They say they hope to have that new line soon.
Poindexter says he appreciates how hard city crews have worked to fix this but hopes it creates future change.
"I think we need to work more broadly on the systemic issues of our water system and not consistently be in a reactive frame of mind as far as the city is concerned," Poindexter said.
Many on social media say the water problems stem directly from the development happening in Bixby. 2 News asked the city about that. Here is their full response.
"The City of Bixby understands many residents are concerned about the water issues they are experiencing along with the rapid growth of the City.
Based on the City's ongoing assessment of its water system, staff does not believe it is accurate to say that rapid development alone is responsible for the water challenges. Our current situation would be better described as a system-wide infrastructure and capacity issue involving aging infrastructure, leaks, failed or struggling components, equipment limitations, maintenance needs, and increasing demand.
Institutional knowledge is also critical to maintaining the City's water system, particularly as it ages. Staff who understand the system's history, how its components work together, and where past issues have occurred are essential to identifying and addressing problems.
Growth does increase demand on the water system, which is why the City must continue planning for future needs. The City is already planning for that additional demand, including a new 24-inch water line that will feed into Bixby. The line is currently in the engineering and design phase and will provide additional capacity to help meet demand during periods of peak water usage.
The City's focus is on both the immediate and long-term needs of the water system: repairing existing deficiencies, maximizing the capacity of infrastructure already in place, improving reliability, and making strategic investments necessary to support Bixby's continued growth.
Additional update will be found on the City of Bixby’s Facebook page and Nixle Alerts. Residents can sign up for Nixle Alerts at: https://bit.ly/BixbyNixle [bit.ly]"
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