MCALESTER, Okla. — Most of Pittsburg County is still under a do not use water order. It comes after a water pump broke and lowered the water pressure. It also potentially contaminated the water.
There's 11 different locations in Pittsburg County where residents can go and pick up water for free, supplied by different community partnerships.
Tannehill's Volunteer Fire Department was compared to Grand Central Station on Friday. Charles Allen, of Tannehill, stopped by to grab some bottled water for him and the wife.
"I haven't showered since Thursday," he told 2 News.
Rural Water District 16 is under a do not use order, including Rural Water District 5, 6, 7, 9 and the City of McAlester. That means no drinking, food prepping, dishwashing or brushing teeth after a pump malfunctioned.
Due to loss of pressure, officials says the water had the potential to be contaminated.
Allen says it's been inconvenient for some country folks.
"If you don't have a pond and you've been carrying water and you're under a do not use order, you're not going to want to give the water to your milk cow and drink the milk," Allen said. "It's been hard on some folks out here."
It's also been hard also on the hospital, where the coffee shop and administration offices were closed down.
It's also been hard on the schools where McAlester Public Schools was having a distance learning day due to the water issues on Friday.
Lastly, it's been hard on restaurants, where county officials say they've had to close unless they had portable water.
2 News reached out to the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections and got a statement saying, "all inmates at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary are drinking and cleaning with bottled water and water buffaloes are provided with non-potable water for any other needs."
Plus - portable water is available for anyone affiliated with the Army Ammunition Plant, according to a Facebook post Friday.
Ashley Kennon, a spokesperson for Pittsburg County, says the area will be under a do not use order until two successful water tests come back from the Dept. of Environmental Quality.
"It's going to be approximately 48 hours before we do our first test," Kennon said. She says the second sample usually is collected on the second day.
McAlester Public Schools officials say they are going to be in distance learning until the water is safe to drink.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
