Pawhuska assures residents water is safe after lead concerns

The City of Pawhuska says its water is safe after concerns arose following notices about lead found in the water.

The city notified 1,900 customers that tests for lead—conducted from 2020 to 2023—were positive.

It's a required notice that informs people how to avoid lead in the water but doesn't mention that follow-up tests were negative.

Pawhuska's water treatment plant has started adding phosphate to the water to reduce corrosion in pipes. This helps prevent lead from leaching into the water, but the longer-term solution is replacing lead pipes with new materials.

The city is searching for lead service lines running to houses and continues to find them. City Manager Jerry Eubanks says these lines, which lead to individual houses, are the likely source of the lead.

He also said the positive tests came from old houses—some abandoned and since torn down—where lead may have accumulated in the lines.

The city is urging people to identify any lead in their household plumbing and replace it.

The city is offering help with water testing and urges anyone with concerns about lead exposure, especially in children, to see their doctor.