Forced To Conserve Water, Nowata Residents Scrambling Before Thanksgiving

It may be hard for thousands of families to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table; Tuesday’s chemical plant explosion in Kansas is causing a water emergency for many towns.

Several communities get their water from the Verdigris River and state tests show chemicals made their way into the water.

Nowata and South Coffeyville, Oklahoma as well as Coffeyville, Independence and Neodesha, Kansas are all being told to either conserve water or not drink it at all.

The City of Nowata is just a few hours from shutting off its water by order of the Department of Environmental Quality.

11/23/2016 Related Story: Nowata, Other Towns Affected By Water Supply Concerns After Neodesha Fire

The water system will shut off at 12:30 p.m. and expect faucets to run dry by noon Thursday, unfortunately, just in time for many people's Thanksgiving meals.

The rush is on in Nowata to stock up on bottled water after a streak of green could be seen filtering into the nearby Verdigris River following a chemical plant explosion in Neodesha, Kansas.

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

"To our knowledge, at this time they don't know what the chemical is, so we don't know how to treat it," said Nowata mayor, David Lynn.

City workers were at the Nowata water treatment plant late into the night, working to prep the system to be shut off and trying to detect any dangerous chemicals.

Lynn expects water to stop flowing by noon on Thanksgiving.

"We've got to be cautious about it - the more we use after we shut it off at 12:30, the faster it’s going to be depleted," he said.

The news came as many people made last-minute Thanksgiving dinner purchases.

"I guess the word spread and soon after, that's when everybody started coming in for water," said Homeland Grocery manager, Chris Fair.

The news caused a normally busy day to be even worse.

Fair said, "One of the busiest days of the year, this and Christmas Eve, it's the big days for us."

Now, only a handful of bottles of water left, leaving shoppers like Sophronia Buffington off guard.

Marty: "And then you found out about the water?"
Buffington: "Yes."
Marty: "And then you make a last minute purchase of water?"
Buffington: "Yes."

But with family coming to town for thanksgiving, Buffington knows she'll have to make new plans.

Marty: "How are you going to handle it?"
Buffington: "I'm going to move the party."

City leaders say the water is still okay to drink and bath in. If people need bottled water it will be available at City Hall Thursday morning.

At this time, city leaders do not know when the water will be turned back on.