Thousands In Rogers County Under Voluntary Boil Advisory

Thousands of people in Rogers County are under a voluntary boil advisory while Rural Water District #3 works to find a solution to fix broken water lines.

District Manager Rick Stull said just after 8:00 p.m. Monday, a two-inch pipeline in the area was fixed. Stull said because that line was fixed, customers who did not have water Monday can expect to have it Tuesday morning, just not at the same pressure they’re used to.

The Foyil Fire Department has been distributing donated water bottles to those in need.

The department itself still has running water, but firefighter Matt Ray explained the reality for many families he’s talked with who are stopping by for help.

“They said the size of a pencil lead. A little bit bigger. That’s their water stream. That’s their shower, that’s dishes, everything they gotta do,” Ray said.

The Rogers County Rural Water District #3 says the biggest problem is at the Oologah Lake spillway, where at 12-inch pipeline broke last week.

“These pipelines break when you have rushing water,” Stull said.

District Manager Rick Stull says about 4,000 homes, or roughly 9,000 people, are impacted.

“It’s a major problem,” Stull said. “I’ve not experienced that in my 15 years, to have that many people out.”

Roger Clark is one of those people.

“I gotta go down to the pond to get water to flush the toilets with,” Clark said.

The Rural Water District says it can’t fix the pipeline at the spillway until the water at the lake is low enough, which could be at least a month from now, and will depend on future rain.

“It’s been hectic. It has. It’s been stressful. But you live and learn. It could be worse. We could be pumping out of a well,” Ray said.

If you’d like to make a water bottle donation, the fire department asks that you call ahead of time. That number is (918) 343-9234.