High Heat Wreaks Havoc on Aging Water System in Southern Oklahoma

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

LONE GROVE, Oklahoma -- Many rural southern Oklahoma residents are being asked to stop outdoor watering because of recent extreme temperatures. 

About 4,100 rural households depend on the Southern Oklahoma Water Corporation for water. Monday night, all customers lost some if not all water pressure. Water officials said the culprit was a 20-inch water pipe burst.

"As you can imagine we had a huge loss of water, probably in excess of 500,000 gallons," said SOWC Chairman Glen Jones.

Some residents in the area said they are not surprised by the water pressure loss.

"Well, they've had some breaks, so we've had some muddy water and low water pressures and a lot of air in it. Looks like milk," said Cheryl Miller, SOWC customer.

Miller's area around Lone Grove was the hardest hit, but SOWC customers around Marietta, Dickson, Springer and Gene Autry also lost pressure.

Miller said she is adjusting.

"Well, you don't do laundry or anything that you have to have a lot of water with," she said.

The break has been fixed, but it will take a while to build the pressure back up.

"What we'd like to do is have no outside watering, at least for the rest of this week," Jones said.

Miller said she just hopes her garden will survive.

The Southern Oklahoma Water Corporation was established in 1967. It has adequate water sources, but Jones admitted its infrastructure is aging.