Beggs residents demand resolution after 10th day without water

BEGGS, Okla. — People living in Beggs, Oklahoma sat or stood shoulder to shoulder wondering when the water will start flowing again.

“We had water for almost two and half hours the other day. That was the total,” said a Beggs resident.

Some people say even when they did have water, it was discolored.

“Our water, the last time, came on for an hour and half was brown and air and nothing in between,” said another resident.

Mayor Jacob Branson says he is hoping to have water back to Beggs by Monday evening.

“Tonight, I am hoping we get pretty much back in service. we are still battling on air and the main line which goes from the water plant to the pumphouse. right now, we are waiting for the tower at the plant to catch up,” Branson said.

He says that’s a short-term fix, but the water is not going to where it is supposed to go.

“It is meant to go into a clear well which is an 150-thousand-gallon tank,” said Branson. “It is gravity fed and the pump that we are using to provide everybody water, is pumping that water to you.”.

FOX23 asked the mayor why the water had to be turned off in Beggs recently.

“We are still battling on air and the main line which goes from the water plant to the pumphouse. Right now, we are waiting for the tower at the plant to catch up. It is at seven pounds, it needs to be at level once it reaches there, we are going to start bleeding air back out,” Branson said.

Branson told the Beggs community the problem may only continue and that they are working to find out what is causing problems with the lines.

“We have basically reinvented the wheel on a water system put in years ago and we are making it work the way it was never intended to work and that is how we have gotten by the last ten years making it work like this,” he said.

Schools were once again closed for the 10th straight day in Beggs.

Branson says a resolution was passed with the county commission Monday to keep kids in schools in the future if the water must be turned off again.

“This morning we had a county commission meeting to get an emergency hook up for the school with the rural water district. Now all we have to do is order parts and material then we will be able to get the school back in water,” Branson said.