Bixby Residents Notified of Water Testing Failure

City says water is safe, but missed lead and copper sampling requirements

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:49pm

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A translucent, ghostly X-ray photograph of a residential water pipe, its internal structure glowing against a dark background to symbolize the unseen health risks of water quality issues.An X-ray view of a residential water pipe exposes the hidden dangers of a municipal water testing failure.Bixby Today

The City of Bixby, Oklahoma recently sent a letter to residents stating it failed to monitor or test for lead and copper in the water between July 1 and December 31 of 2025. Despite the missed testing target, city officials say the water is safe to drink and not contaminated. The city is required to test 60 homes every six months, but only obtained 26 samples during the second half of last year.

Why it matters

Proper water testing is critical to ensure public health and safety, especially for contaminants like lead that can have serious health impacts. This failure raises concerns about the city's water quality monitoring processes and transparency with residents.

The details

Bixby Public Works Assistant Director Nathan Radach said the city is required to test for copper and lead in 60 homes, but obtaining the required samples is difficult as they must be collected from inside the home after the water has sat in the pipes for at least 6 hours. To ensure they hit their target going forward, the city has increased its list of homes to sample from around 60 to 100.

  • Between July 1 and December 31, 2025, the city failed to monitor or test for lead and copper in the water.
  • The problem will be resolved by June 30, 2026 when the city obtains the required 60 samples for the first half of the year.

The players

Nathan Radach

Bixby Public Works Assistant Director who explained the city's water testing requirements and challenges.

Ashley Reed

A Bixby resident who expressed concern about the water testing failure, despite having filters in place.

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What they’re saying

“All samples came back under the required thresholds for lead and copper.”

— Nathan Radach, Bixby Public Works Assistant Director

“I mean, we have filters in place to protect ourselves from mistakes and stuff. But you'd like not to think about it.”

— Ashley Reed, Bixby Resident

What’s next

The city says it will obtain the required 60 water samples by June 30, 2026 to resolve the testing failure.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of consistent, transparent water quality monitoring by municipalities to ensure public health and safety. While the city says the water is safe, the testing failure erodes trust and raises concerns about potential issues that may have gone undetected.