Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Oklahoma City?
Yes, Oklahoma City's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Oklahoma City has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Oklahoma City's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Oklahoma City's water utility, Oklahoma City, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Oklahoma City was resolved on July 31, 2012. This assessment is based on the Oklahoma City water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Oklahoma City Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Oklahoma City for Oklahoma City in Oklahoma. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From July 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012, Oklahoma City had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Total Coliform Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Coliform (TCR).
From Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 31, 2012, Oklahoma City had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Is there Lead in Oklahoma City Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Oklahoma City water system, Oklahoma City, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0006 mg/L of lead in Oklahoma City water. This is 4.0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Oklahoma City contained more lead.
While Oklahoma City water testing may have found 0.0006 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Oklahoma City Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Midwest City Readiness Center - near Oklahoma City with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Oklahoma City has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Oklahoma City SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2012 - 07/31/2012 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) (25) | Total Coliform Rule (110) | Coliform (TCR) (3100) | Microbials (100) | Total Coliform Rules (110) |
| 01/01/2012 - 01/31/2012 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (44) | Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Oklahoma City Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | Dustin Segraves, Water Superintendant 420 West Main, Ste 430 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 73102 |
Existing customers can login to their Oklahoma City account to pay their Oklahoma City water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Oklahoma City bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Oklahoma City water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Oklahoma City water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Oklahoma City means you will often need to put the water in your name with Oklahoma City. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Oklahoma City means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Oklahoma City. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Oklahoma City, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
Oklahoma City
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 630000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 19
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromate
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Bromoform
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Nitrite
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Oklahoma City Tap Water
Well, what can you say about Oklahoma City tap water? It stinks, tastes like garbage and is kind of gross. You also have to pay for an expensive treatment facility to clean it, but still, how much is that going to cost you in the long run? A lot more than you think.
How can you avoid buying bottled water in the future? By making sure that the water you are drinking right now has absolutely no fluoride in it at all. The water treatment facilities are no longer disinfecting the water to make it safe to drink. They are just rinsing it off so you don’t drink it. That is a whole lot better for your body than buying big bottles of water and placing them in your fridge. Believe me, you don’t want to live like that.
Now, on to the good stuff. I’m a huge fan of natural water purifiers because they work great. That means that you can get all of the fluorides out of your water. That alone will help to keep you from drinking stinky, rancid water all day long. Plus, it will keep you from getting diseases like giardia, cholera and typhoid.
Oklahoma Water Quality
Oklahoma water quality standards are based on the state’s specific needs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates all water quality, but Oklahoma has been under the oversight of the EPA since 1965. The EPA has outlined a five-step process to ensure that adequate levels of pollution have been minimized.
Water quality issues can be found throughout Oklahoma. If you or your family want the most reliable supply of clean and pure water, you should take the time to check out your county. Each county is required to test for fecal colic levels, bacteria, and nitrate levels. These testing kits are available at most local departments of supply. The best way to know if your water quality meets federal guidelines is to have it tested. The cost of testing varies, but it will definitely be worth the expense.
If you’re concerned about drinking water, you should also make sure that your showerheads and toilets use only approved filters. To help keep your pipes clear from debris, you should have them replaced on a regular basis. Filters can be purchased at most stores, home improvement centers, and online. They come in a variety of styles and types and are made of many different materials. Regardless of the type of filter you choose, it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions in order to prevent serious problems from occurring. While most filters remove 99% of particles and contaminants, some require more frequent replacement of the cartridges.
Oklahoma Water Treatment
Oklahoma water treatment equipment is the key to having a healthy water supply for your home and family. When you have a great supply of clean and pure water, you don’t have to run harsh and expensive filtration systems on your system. But if you do have this expense, you can still have a safe and effective water filtration system. This includes the use of a water softener and a filtration system that makes sure all of the harmful substances in your water are filtered out and that you and your family remain safe from harmful toxins.
Oklahoma water treatment equipment is very affordable and it will make a huge difference in how well you and your family take care of your water supply. The cost of treating your water should not keep you from having a clean and healthy supply of water. In fact, it shouldn’t even be an issue. Once you start treating your water properly, you’ll see the results right away.
So the next time you think about your water, think again. Start by installing a filter on your faucet and see what happens. If your water has a lot of impurities, you should consider purchasing a filtration system for your entire home. This will help ensure that your entire house is safe from harmful substances while giving you great tasting and crystal clear water. Now it’s up to you.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is an agency of the state government of Oklahoma under the governorship of Governor Mary Holeton. Its primary responsibility is to protect the natural environment and for protecting public health: water, air, and land. DEQ is primarily responsible for the overall environmental policy of Oklahoma
Within DEQ, there are many divisions including the Wildlife Division, the Parks and Recreation Division, the Natural Resources Division, the Office of Public Safety and Security, the Audubon Society, and the State Medical Office. Within the offices of the state treasurer, the Comptroller, the Insurance Commissioner, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the treasurer, and the comptroller each have their own specific departments to perform specific functions. For example, the Insurance Commissioner is in charge of filing claims, inspecting insurance programs, and overseeing the distribution of premium payments. The Comptroller is in charge of investigating complaints regarding insurance policies, auditing companies for accuracy, and inspecting insurance carriers and processors.
Another division within DEQ is the Bureau of Pollutants and Quality Control. This division works in close partnership with the state’s beaches, rivers, and lakes to ensure that pollutants do not affect water quality and safety. For example, Oklahoma’s beaches monitor the levels of seawater because of pollution concerns and to keep the beaches safe from pollution, which in turn affects tourism. The state’s lakes also have pollutant requirements to protect the ecosystems and the water supply for all citizens.