Guymon reports elevated nitrates; city isolates wells and urges conservation

A city staff member told the Guymon City Council during its March 2025 meeting that routine testing showed nitrates at 11 milligrams per liter in a municipal sample, exceeding the 10 mg/L limit set by state and federal standards. Council members were told the city has shut down several wells, begun blending other sources and is advising certain residents to avoid drinking tap water until the city issues an all-clear.

The detail matters because, as the staff member said during the meeting, "we tested at 11." The staff member said the elevated result was detected when the city drew a sample at a pumping station that collects water from five nearby wells. The city immediately began isolating and retesting those wells and expected laboratory results later in the week.

Why it matters: state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance recommends infants younger than 6 months and pregnant women avoid drinking water above the 10 mg/L nitrate threshold until authorities clear it. The staff member said the city will issue a 24-hour public notice if tests confirm the need to expand advisories.

City operations details given to council: the speaker said about 3 of the city's 18 wells were offline at the time of the meeting; well No. 20 had just been repaired after emergency work that the speaker said cost about $40,000; the system was operating at roughly 63% of pumping capacity for the reporting period. The staff member described efforts to isolate which of the five wells feeding the pumping station contributed to the elevated reading and said the city had begun blending other wells to reduce nitrate concentration.

Council members and staff also discussed long-term pressures on the aquifer. The staff member said lower water levels can increase the risk of drawing water with higher concentrations of dissolved constituents, and noted the city had seen nitrate concentrations rise seasonally. "We started shutting back those wells and started blending other wells into it," the staff member said.

The city also reiterated ongoing water conservation rules. Officials reminded residents that odd/even watering restrictions remain in effect and asked people not to water sidewalks or streets. The staff member said results from the lab testing were expected by the end of the week and the city would notify the public with any change in guidance.

Ending: Council members did not take a vote on new restrictions during the meeting; they were informed that the city would update the public if test results indicate expanded advisories or other actions are required.