BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — The water in Bartlesville is once again safe to use after a boil order was lifted after an over 24-hour mandate.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), coliform and E. coli bacteria were found in the city’s water supply during routine testing on July 10. However, the mandatory boil order wasn’t issued until July 12.
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Boil order lifted in Bartlesville
Some residents expressed frustration over the delay in notification and the way the alert was communicated, with many saying they only found out through the city’s Facebook page.
“Not all of us get on social media. What about the older people who don't even have that, you know?” said Bartlesville resident Nicole Blevins. “So, I mean, let your people know something.”
In response to those concerns, 2 News Oklahoma reached out to the Oklahoma DEQ to clarify the requirements for public notification.
“Within 24 hours, they have to notify using at least two of the following methods,” said Erin Hatfield with the DEQ, “which are hand delivery or direct delivery, posting in conspicuous locations”—such as libraries, police departments, city halls—“or a radio or television notification.”
WATCH: Some in Bartlesville concerned with boil order communication
Bartlesville Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen explained how the city responded.
“We released it by the radio. We posted it on social media, our website. We also posted it on public buildings to try to get the word out,” Lauritsen said.
The city also sent alerts through its app, a newsletter to subscribers, and issued a press release. However, Lauritsen said they were required to wait for an official notice from DEQ before distributing the information to the public.
This was the city’s first boil order in over 25 years, Lauritsen said.
“One of the things we're looking at is creating a more formal policy for how to communicate this kind of information,” he said. “I think our communications team did a great job responding on social media and trying to inform the public as best as we could.”
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