Nowata, Other Towns Affected By Water Supply Concerns After Neodesha Fire

The explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Neodesha spurred concerns about the water supply downstream. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality ordered the town of Nowata to shut down its water supply Wednesday night at midnight. 

Neodesha is just north of the confluence of the Fall and Verdigris Rivers and several cities and towns use the Verdigris River as a source of water. It also feeds into Oologah Lake which provides water for even more communities, including Tulsa.

The explosion and fire happened at the Airosol chemical plant at about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 22, 2016. The plant makes petroleum-based aerosol products.

11/22/2016 Related Story: 3 Hurt, Town Without Water After Kansas Chemical Plant Explosion

Emergency managers at the scene of the fire said some of the chemicals from the factory got into the storm drainage system, creating a risk that they'd end up in the Verdigris.

The firefighting effort used all of the water in the tower used by the city of Neodesha and it warned its residents not to use city water until given the all clear. That was not because of chemicals in the water, but because organisms can enter the system past the treatment point, according to Cassandra Edson with Wilson County Emergency Management.

The city of Independence declared a Stage 3 water emergency out of an abundance of caution. The city shut down the intake of water from the Verdigris River at 4 a.m. Wednesday. It anticipates test results to be available Wednesday afternoon.

In Nowata, Mayor David Lynn said the Department of Environmental Quality has ordered the town to shut off its water supply which it will do so starting at 12:30 Thursday morning.

Lynn said he was told chemicals from the fire have made their way into the water supply and that there are chemicals in the Verdigris River.

He said a semi loaded with water bottles is headed to the city and will figure out distribution once it arrives.

Residents are being asked to conserve what water they can.

Coffeyville issued a stage 3 water emergency starting at 8:00 Wednesday evening. That means all non-essential use of water is prohibited. South Coffeyville gets their water from the City of Coffeyville, so this impacts them as well.

A news release says all restaurants, car washes and laundromats will close and residents are asked to limit water to life sustaining use - drinking, medical needs and food preparation.

The City does say the current water supply is safe to drink. It also said plans are being finalized for bottled water distribution for Thursday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa Office manages the flow of the Verdigris watershed. A spokesman said the Corps already had its dams on the system closed because the lake levels are low enough not to warrant any releases.