Officials Work To Restore Service To Parts Of Haskell Co. Without Water For 9 Days

Some areas of Haskell County have been without water for over a week after ice destroyed water lines, but officials say the water should be back on soon.

County Commissioner Billy Cloud said the extensive damage is something no one expected.

"People around here just never have, in a long time, experienced that kind of cold, and they weren't prepared for it. I don't think anybody was," he said.

Cloud said Haskell County's infrastructure just couldn't handle the extreme cold. His own faucets have run dry for days.

"I've been out ever since, probably Monday," Cloud said. "Drinking water we bought but I did have a well."

Cut off from water towers by line breaks, his well would tide him over for the next few days but it was still so cold he had to keep it from freezing with a well heater.

While Cloud deals with his own water shortages ,he's been helping his community's most vulnerable with theirs.

"The biggest thing is you know elderly people. We were trying to make sure they had drinking water," Cloud said.

To speed up the process, he made sure roads were cleared for repair crews.

"We've sent graders out grading roads, trying to help the water company as much as we could," he said.

Haskell County Sheriff Tim Turner said his deputies have been out helping the water department since the first snow fell.

"It's been a night and day effort to help our rural water department get leaks located, make sure that the guys are out working at midnight, one, two, three o'clock in the morning," Turner said.

Turner said it's been a team effort but now water service is almost fully restored to the county.

"Haskell County comes together in a time of need. You put your differences aside and you come together and you help the people who need help," Turner said.