County spends $20K to help water districts

D.E. Smoot, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
·2 min read

Mar. 4—Muskogee County commissioners spent about $20,000 for two water buffalo tanks that will be used to help rural water districts working to restore service after distribution lines burst during the recent winter storm.

Emergency Management Director Jeff Smith said the county is using two now that were borrowed from another government agency. Those, he said, are in need of repairs and would have to be returned after the county made and paid for the repairs.

"We were going to repair those, but we would have to ask for permission and they still wouldn't belong to us," Smith said, noting both units are old and have multiple problems. "We would like to purchase one or two to bring back into our community and replace this old equipment."

Smith said the severe winter storm in February "actually overwhelmed our capabilities" with regard to the equipment. Purchasing two water buffalo tanks would address that issue and "give us the opportunity to support our rural water districts."

Several smaller districts experienced a steep drop in water pressure in distribution systems as a result of lines that burst during the freeze-thaw cycle associated with the storm. Smith said his office uses the water buffaloes to provide nonpotable water while water lines are repaired and service restored — bottled water offered for consumption and cooking.

Smith said the water buffalo tanks, which were bought at a cost of $9,770 each pursuant General Services Administration contract, could be used for other purposes in the future. He said they could be used to support rural fire protection services and for large construction projects, but right now "we're still pre-positioning bottles of water in different districts ..., and we anticipate some of these districts are going to have other issues."

City Manager Mike Miller said some of the districts that purchase water from the city of Muskogee appear to be making progress. While the city continues to treat more water than it did on a regular basis before the storm, the volume of water in its towers was restored after dropping to about a third of what is considered normal.

District 3 Commissioner said the county will draw from its CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act fund to pay for the two units. He said county officials were told by the state auditor's office the pandemic relief funds could be used to pay for "whatever need we have," and the expense does not have to be linked to the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the disease it causes.