2 Pittsburg Co. Communities Awarded Millions To Repair Failing Water Infrastructure

Two rural Pittsburg County communities are getting millions of dollars from the federal government to make some big upgrades to their water lines.

It's a big move for Hartshorne and Haileyville, which both suffer from the same aging and failing water lines that have needed replacing for decades.

Crysta Watson oversees engineering work for both towns. She helped put together the funding proposals to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"This is a generational move for both towns,” Watson said. “A reliable water system for years and years to come, for the generation to come.”

Hartshorne Mayor Ashley Faulkner said the grants and loans will bring Hartshorne nearly $10 million in funding and neighboring Haileyville will be awarded just over $4.2 million.

"I'm so ecstatic about it, not just as Mayor, I'm ecstatic because I have children and I'm excited, this is their future. It's making it so much better for them," Faulker said.

Watson said her team found serious issues with the towns' ancient water lines when they were first putting together the report.

"We knew they had an issue; we just didn't really know how big. Hartshorne has I think a 51% water loss and Haileyville has a 43% water loss," Watson said.

All that wasted water drives up costs for taxpayers.

"Most of their system is cast-iron. It's old. Some lines have been in the ground for over 100 years," Watson said.

The funding will replace those pipes and help bring Hartshorne back into compliance with water regulations.

"Infrastructure especially in rural Oklahoma is aging, and it's not going to get any better. And right now is the perfect time to look at doing something about it," Watson said.

Engineers hope to start these projects within a year.