Hulah Lake water plant failure places 4 northeast Oklahoma communities on voluntary boil order

Residents in four northeast Oklahoma communities are being told they might want to boil their water.

The Hulah Water District which serves four communities in northeast Oklahoma has issued a voluntary, precautionary order for Bowring, Oakridge, Whippoorwill Point and the area east of the Hulah Dam towards the Cross Bell Ranch due to a mechanical failure at its water treatment plant.

A district official told 2NEWS on Thursday the plant has been shut down as its filtration membranes have become clogged, kicking off the plant's water pumps and reducing the flow of water. Any water passing through may be contaminated.

She said as it may be another week until new parts are installed, residents should expect to boil their water until further notice.

In the meantime, as a precaution, officials are asking residents to bring water to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption, food preparation, dish washing, tooth brushing, wound care, or bathing infants who might ingest the bath water.

While Bartlesville also uses Hulah Lake as its water source, the city uses its own plant and is therefore not included in the boil order.