HASKELL, Okla. — City leaders in Haskell started work to improve water quality after repeated safety notices raised concerns among residents.
For Rex Caldwell, those concerns were personal.
WATCH: Haskell plans to install new water pump to address quality concerns:
“I would never drink it. I wouldn't recommend drinking the water at all. It's just not good water,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said he has also noticed issues with water pressure and appearance, adding to his hesitation about using it.
City Manager Michael Keene said the issue stemmed from how the city received its water. He tells me Haskell relies on two main sources: a well field east of town and water supplied from Muskogee.
Keene said that as water travels from Muskogee to Haskell, it can pick up chemical byproducts known as trihalomethanes, or TTHMs.
“Every month we’re testing our water, and we just have to keep testing it,” Keene said.
Keene said the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality sets safe levels for those byproducts. He added that every few months, levels can rise enough to be unsafe for infants or the elderly, prompting the city to send notices to residents.
To address the issue, Keene said the city is installing a new $93,000 water pump in the southern part of town. He said the pump will help reduce those chemicals and improve water pressure for nearby residents.
The project is mostly funded through a $75,000 grant from the Eastern Oklahoma Development District and is expected to be operational by July 1.
Caldwell said the project gives him some hope.
“Definitely a good step in the right direction,” Caldwell said.
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