Broken Pump Blamed For Hominy Water Woes

Dan Bewley, News On 6

HOMINY, Oklahoma -- An Osage County community is asking its residents to conserve water for the rest of the week. Officials in Hominy say a water pump broke at its water treatment plant.

Tex Bayouth, Hominy's city manager, said the problem began when a shaft on one of the city's water pumps broke earlier this week. It was replaced by a backup pump, but that broke as well.

Both have been sent for repairs, leaving just one pump to fill up the city's water towers.

"If this is a long term thing then it would be a problem, but it's not," Bayouth said.

Until it gets fixed Bayouth is asking city residents to conserve water.

"Be cautious, maybe not watering the yard," he said.

Business owners downtown said it doesn't seem to be affecting their daily operations but a car wash in town has decided to close overnight.

Meanwhile, Rose Minnerup and her sister Judy say they're doing what they can to help save water, including when it comes to taking care of their dogs, Pickles and Joy.

"I give her bottled water instead of faucet water and I make my coffee out of bottled water," Judy said.

"Watering plants with a lot less water if any, poor plants," Rose Minnerup said.

Bayouth expects to have everything back to normal and up and running by mid-day on Friday, but that still leaves about two more days of conserving water in 100 degree temperatures.

One of the city's biggest water customers is the Osage Nation, which provides water to Conners Correctional Center. Bayouth said the prison has been tapping into its 500,000 gallon reserve tank.

Rose and Judy admit it's a bad time to have a broken water pump.

"Everybody's trying to be conservative. It's hard because everybody doesn't want to lose their plants, of course," Rose said.