Guthrie addressing odor and taste of city water

For the past few months, water customers in the City of Guthrie have noticed a distinct smell and an unpleasant taste. Though the water is safe and meets all regulations and performance measures, the City of Guthrie intends to continue to take initiative to ensure good taste.

In 2oo7, Guthrie elected to do away with routine flushing of the city’s water lines to help maintain a routine flow, but according to City Manager Sereniah Breland the program was added back in the last fiscal year to help eliminate the  odor and taste problems.  

“The City has flushed over 55 lines since November 2013, and will continue to do so until we can achieve a schedule that is performed regularly,” Breland said.

However, the recent cold weather  is proving to be a hindrance to the project.

“The extreme cold weather we have experienced this year has affected our ability to maintain consistent taste of the water.  The rash of line breaks, burst meters and meter boxes throughout the city caused by freezing stirs the water so that minerals or sediment breaks loose into the system potentially causing unpleasant water tastes and smells,” Breland added.

In order to implement this program effectively, the City is seeking a candidate for employment who will maintain this flushing of dead end lines regularly.  The position has been posted since Oct. 2013.

“We continue to seek qualified candidates. The City continues to work towards providing great customer service and quality water,” Breland added.  

If you have any concerns or questions, please call Municipal Services at 405.282.8400 during normal business hours or 405.282.3535 for emergencies.

Career Opportunity

If interested in the position, please visit www.cityofguthrie.com and click the “Career Opportunities” link or visit City Hall for a paper application.