Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, OK water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
oklahoma city
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID OK1020902
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Oklahoma City is a major U.S. city and the largest in Oklahoma, home to roughly 631,346 residents. Oklahoma City's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Oklahoma: reservoirs, Ogallala aquifer, and rivers.
As elsewhere in Oklahoma, the central challenge is drought. The Oklahoma City metro's reservoir-and-pipeline system and panhandle aquifer depletion define its water profile.
Oklahoma reuses an estimated 7% of its treated wastewater and maintains developing reuse programs; Oklahoma City tracks exceptional drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Oklahoma profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Oklahoma City below.
Oklahoma County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~631,346 (largest in Oklahoma)
- Primary sources: reservoirs, Ogallala aquifer, and rivers
- Drought: exceptional conditions
- State reuse rate: ~7% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Oklahoma in severe+ drought (Exceptional (D4) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City's largest water system, OKLAHOMA CITY, serves about 644,000 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Oklahoma City get its water?
OKLAHOMA CITY draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Oklahoma's supply from reservoirs, Ogallala aquifer, rivers.
Related water issues
Drought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
Explore