Live Discussion Tonight: What Happens if Oklahoma’s Water Crisis Continues?

• Joe Wertz
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Kimadababe / Flickr

Drought danger at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur in south-central Oklahoma.

[module align=”right” width=”half” type=”aside”]OnTap: What Happens if Oklahoma’s Water Crisis Continues?
6 p.m. March 20
Picasso Cafe
3009 Paseo St.
OKC, OK 73103
(Map!)

GUESTS
Marsha Slaughter
Utilities Director, City of Oklahoma City

Jeff Converse
President, Canton Lake Association
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Oklahoma has been gripped by two years of drought, and relief isn’t likely anytime soon.

So what does this all mean — to you?

We want to help you get answers tonight. StateImpact is hosting KOSU Radio’s OnTap discussion series, which is all about water policy, drought and conservation.

We’ve got three guests joining us to help answer your questions about the situation in and around Oklahoma City.

When it comes to water policy, the stakes are high in OKC. The city delivers water to more than 500,000 customers and has to provide service for residential, commercial and industrial users. It also depends on water supplies in other parts of the state, so there are a lot of questions about balancing supply and demand.

For example, OKC stores water at Canton Lake. But when OKC draws water from the lake — which is 90 miles northwest of the city — it can have a big impact on the quality of life for Canton residents. This is a balancing act in play at many Oklahoma lakes, but the drought has raised the stakes for all types of water users.

Have a question you want us to ask? Reach out to us on Twitter @StateImpact. Use the hashtag #OnTap, and we’ll make sure your question gets asked.