After Fourth of July storms disrupted water service in Wayne, Okla., residents are now dealing with two separate concerns: some households still have no running water, and others are uncertain whether the water returning through their pipes is safe to use.
A precautionary boil advisory was issued on July 6 as crews work to restore the system.
What happened?
Holiday-storm lightning damaged a well used by parts of Rural Water District 8, KOKH Fox 25 reported.
Junior Welch, a consultant who advises the board on operations and infrastructure upgrades, told KOKH Fox 25 that crews are working to stabilize the system as they refill it and coordinate with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
While the district is meeting chlorine residual standards and the water is safe to drink, Welch told the outlet that the precautionary boil advisory was just an extra step. The boil advisory will remain in effect until it is officially lifted.
District officials have not provided a firm date for full service restoration, though they said the situation is getting better by the hour.
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Why does it matter?
When a water system loses pressure, families can suddenly be left without enough water to drink, cook, clean, shower, or flush toilets normally, and businesses, schools, and caregivers can feel the effects as well.
Boil advisories are commonly issued after pressure drops because contamination can more easily enter water lines, even when test results and disinfectant levels appear acceptable.
The outage has also resurfaced older doubts about the system's water quality for some locals.
"I never drink the water," Lacy Jones, a Wayne resident, told KOKH Fox 25. "I've seen the water, you know, people's bathtubs and swimming pools that they'll fill up and show you. Yeah, no, don't drink the water."
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What's being done?
While crews continue to refill the network and work to stabilize pressure as part of the current response, district leaders say longer-term fixes are also on the table.
Welch told KOKH Fox 25 that the district has recognized water quality complaints for years and is working on improvements.
"It has always been a problem," Jones said. "If we're gonna pay a month of fee and high rates then we should at least have decent water to bathe in."
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