Drought Conditions Causing Waterline Breaks In Rogers County

The water situation is improving for some people in Rogers County after the extremely dry weather caused waterlines to break.

Crews say mechanical issues at the water treatment plant and breaks in two different waterlines left some customers with low water pressure and others with no water at all.

“When the ground’s so hard, it has no give and take,” said Jason Littlefield, district supervisor for Rogers County Rural Water District 4. “Something’s going to give.”

Littlefield says his district held up for the most part during the extreme temperatures over the summer, but the drought is now catching up. He says the dry soil can cause waterlines to break, especially on pipes that could be up to 60 years old.

Showers this week helped but there is a long way to go.

“We need some more substantial rains before it really soaks in and gets down to where the lines are buried,” said Littlefield.

Customers are encouraged to continue helping with conserving water as long as things stay dry. Crews are now working to flush the system after the repairs.

This could cause air to come through some of the lines though the coming days. Littlefield says cooler temperatures help a lot since demand drops, but the best thing would be more rain.