Customers Turned Away From Tulsa Walmart Closed For Plumbing Problems

Five Walmart stores across the country are temporarily closed for plumbing issues, and one of them is in Tulsa at Admiral and Memorial.

Walmart said the issues are so large they need six months to make the repairs, but associates and customers can't believe plumbing problems are the real issue for the closure.

Walmart representatives said the company will try to relocate the 400 associates to 25 other stores in the Tulsa metro while construction crews fix the problem, but the store employees are still wondering what's next.

"It was a shock. We all were, we were all in shock. I cried a lot, but we'll all get through it, it's sad," employee Cindy Burton said.

The Tulsa store is one of five others across the country that closed this week; all closed for the same plumbing issue reported by the company.

4/13/2015 Related Story: Plumbing Issues Temporarily Close Walmart At Admiral And Memorial

"They told us and there was five other stores that closed down in California, Texas and here, and they're all saying plumbing issues. I went to the meeting this morning, they would not give me an exact answer to anything," one employee said.

Company spokesperson Erica Jones said the Admiral and Memorial location had more than a 100 plumbing issues that forced the store to close.

"It was impacting the working and the shopping experience, so we decided it was in the best interest to take the time and invest the resources to resolve these issues," Jones said.

Customers like Melva Long now have to go to another store.

"It is to me because it's close to my house. I buy all kinds of stuff out here," Long said.

Walmart said the 400 associates will get 60 days of pay and a severance package if they can't get transferred to another store.

"We're all finding places to go and we're trying to call. It's all we can do right now is just try to find placement so we can all keep our job," Burton said.

She said she'll miss working at the store.

“I've been here ten years with this Walmart. This is my family, it's my home, and the customers are family here. We know each and every one of them, some of them we know by name, this is home," she said.

The city of Tulsa said it has not received any permits for plumbing work yet.

The pharmacy will be open for two weeks and customers can transfer their prescriptions, free of charge, to another pharmacy.