Tulsa Couple Resorts To Filling Buckets With Water After Losing Water In Their Home For 2 Weeks

A Tulsa couple has been without water in their apartment for two weeks and is still waiting for answers.

Brisa Hoober said while not having water was hard for her and her family, it was also expensive.

"I feel like it's a little ridiculous that we've had to deal with it, especially when it wasn't our fault," said Hoober.

She said the complex shut off the water on January 17th, 2024 because of a flood in the laundry room.

"From what we've been told, the laundry room had priority over anything else. So, we kind of got pushed aside," said Hoober.

Hoober said her boyfriend filled up buckets and jugs each day to get by.

"As soon as my boyfriend gets home from work, he takes the bucket and the gallon bottles and he's down at his buddy's house filling them up," she said.

Hoober said they used the water to do basic things like flushing the toilet, bathing, and doing the dishes, but it still wasn't enough.

"We have to go elsewhere to shower, we have to use bottled water to brush our teeth," she said.

Kendra Wise, an environmental health manager with the Tulsa Health Department, said unfortunately situations like this aren't uncommon.

"Lots of people just try to make do with what they can, hauling water in so that they can flush a toilet or cook a meal. It's exhausting," said Wise.

The Tulsa Health Department said the apartment is required to provide clean running water to tenants. If the landlord does not comply, THD can take further action including issuing citations.

"Having fresh water is one of those public health 101 things. We need it to keep clean, but also cook meals and wash out clothes," Wise said.

The company that manages the apartment complex said the cold temperatures broke a pipe, so it had to turn off water to the whole building. It said a crew was working on the problem.

The Tulsa Health Department said if you're without water or heat, you can call the department or submit a complaint on its website.