Winter Storm Fern, the city is tackling an infrastructure problem in the way of water main breaks. In fact, there have been at least 19 since Monday.
“Deep freeze and thaw cycles can cause this to happen — we expect an uptick in water main breaks as things thaw out this week,” city spokesperson Carson Colvin told The Eagle. “This is a normal part of Tulsa winters.”
One of the breaks occurred just east of downtown on 21st Street and Lewis Avenue as pipes burst underneath an already eroding road, causing the asphalt to sink. Water flooded the parking lot of a solo chiropractor practice.
Video footage on Facebook showed the street flooding and disrupting traffic. The city dispatched a maintenance crew to the area Monday to begin fixing the pipes.
The city has since shut down the right two lanes of the four-way road and shut the water off, but hasn’t addressed damages already done to Chiropractic Wellness Center.
“The [city] is quick with fixing the street. They haven’t been quick with helping a small business,” said Kimberly Pierce, a receptionist at the wellness center. “We do realize that there is a snow storm and there are actual emergencies, but they’re not as quick to help our parking lot.”
Pierce told the Eagle the damages to the business are so severe they’re telling clients to park at neighboring businesses and walk over — a task that can be strenuous for their clientele.
She said a city staffer told her it will take more than a week to fix the parking lot, and a few days to clean the mud around the area. But Pierce said it needs to happen sooner.
“That’s not feasible for people that are in pain to walk through snow, ice and mud at this point, let alone a correct parking lot if you have any balance issues,” she said.
While water line breaks are common for Tulsa winters, the city says repairs have historically helped strengthen weak points. In 2021, crews responded to more than 250 breaks during record-breaking low temperatures. Winter Storm Fern brought the ninth-largest snowfall event in Tulsa’s history, with 8.7 inches of snow.
What to do if you see a break
You can check the city’s website to see which main breaks have already been reported. If it’s not listed, you should call the city’s water emergency line at 918-596-9488.
If you happen to experience a water line break in your home, shut off the water before calling a plumber. You can also call the number above for assistance.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
The post As Tulsa thaws, water main breaks are surging. Local businesses are feeling the impact. appeared first on The Oklahoma Eagle.
