Murky water returns to SE Oklahoma

UNDATED (AP) _ Residents of northern Pittsburg County say murky water, dirty water that was in their water system earlier this month has returned. <br/><br/>Residents in the Indianola and Crowder areas

Thursday, March 31st 2005, 1:54 pm

By: News On 6

UNDATED (AP) _ Residents of northern Pittsburg County say murky water, dirty water that was in their water system earlier this month has returned.

Residents in the Indianola and Crowder areas first filed complaints about water from the Pittsburg County with the Department of Environmental Quality in late February and early March. They say the water cleared up until last weekend when the problem returned.

DEQ says the first problem was caused by alum, which is used to get solids in the water to bond together and the current problem is due to a low water level in a holding tank.

The water is kept in the tank until delivered to customers and officials say the low level allowed sediment, including the alum, to get mixed into the water supply.

Water plant manager Sonny Walters says an engineer has been hired and the holding tank is being cleaned, but it may take some time before all water lines are cleared.