The Oklahoma Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) have found above levels of uranium in the water of residents in rural Logan County.
Logan County Rural Water District No. 1 board members at a recent board meeting. Photo By Chris Evans
The levels of uranium exceed DEQ’s recommendations.
Logan County Rural Water District No. 1 held their regular scheduled meeting on Oct. 11 and explained the situation with their customers.
Uranium exposure has been linked to cancer and kidney failure. However, water board manager Buddy Thompson told KWTV the effects would take years to go into effect.
“The EPA (Enviromental Protection Agency) website says you have to drink 1.5 liters per day for 70 years to maybe get some of the carcinogenic or kidney toxicity from these particles,” Thompson said.
Thompson went on to say the water board is following all guidelines.
In September, residents become upset over the district’s billing after water bills increased anywhere from $100 to as high as $2,000 extra a month. Among the complaints include: water meters reading air, inconsistent billing and meter readers not keeping accurate logs of usage.
Related story: Dozens speak out on increased water bills
Earlier this month, the water district held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new water tower, located on Charter Oak Road just west of Douglas Boulevard, that could help answer to a growing community’s water problems, including low water pressure for some customers.
The water district serves around 2,500 customers.
The cost of the tower is $1.25 million, to be funded by a loan provided by the Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and DEQ.
Rural Water Districts, have unprecented power, to coerce its members into compliance and spend millions of dollars a year to maintain their monopoly. They resist any effort of cities to expand service, even if the city can provide a better product at a more reasonable rate.
It is time state’s unitee to fight back against the federal intrusions into local government.
This is nothing new, it was also discovered in our well water in 2009. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2009SC/finalprogram/abstract_154902.htm