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Bartlesville
Posted: Mar 27, 2023 9:35 AMUpdated: Mar 27, 2023 10:39 AM
CITY MATTERS: Wards and Water
Tom Davis
Ward redisticting and wated conservation were the main topic presented on CITY MATTERS on KWON on Monday morning.
City Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen and Community Development Director Larry Curtis explained the topics of new ward boundaries and what's in-store for water customers should the lake levels fail to improve.
As for the redistricting of the ward boundaries, Community Development Director Larry Curtis explained that In February, the City Council heard a report on proposed ward boundary changes and directed City staff to notify the public of plans to update the ward maps. The council is expected to consider final adoption of an ordinance outlining the new boundaries during its meeting on April 3.
State law requires that governing bodies review their ward boundaries following every federal census and change the boundaries or number of wards to ensure that:
All wards are formed of compact and contiguous territory
All wards are substantially equal in population
To the extent practicable, precincts established by a county election board shall not be subdivided
Changes are needed due to recent and continued predicted growth in the city’s Ward 2, located in southeast Bartlesville, and declining populations in Ward 4, located in the northern and northwestern areas of the city.
The lake level is at about 62% capacity--and that is nearing a benchmark for water usage according to City Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen.
"Our overall water supply level has fallen to 62.1 percent while our water use has held steady, at 4.2 mgd (million gallons per day)," said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen.
The City is currently in Phase 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan, which was created following a severe drought that occurred over the fall of 2001 into the spring of 2002.
"We are very close to entering Phase 3, which will occur when our levels hit 60 percent," Lauritsen said. "Pending approval of the City Council in April, Phase 3 would prompt the implementation of several restrictions aimed at reducing consumption, including higher water rates, restricted outdoor watering, and the closure of City-owned splash pads."
If levels continue to decline and the City enters the "critical" phase, or Phase 4 of the plan, outdoor watering could be eliminated altogether and swimming pools could be closed for the summer in addition to the other measures.
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