INOLA, Okla. — A 16-inch main water line failure near Inola forced the school district to dismiss students early and offer virtual learning on Wednesday.
Mayes County Rural Water District 2 says the 16-inch main water line failed Wednesday morning near 640 Rd. and 560 Road. Crews initially believed someone struck the line while digging, but an investigation revealed the pipe simply failed on its own.
Repairs were expected to be completed by 9 a.m., but as the morning continued without a fix, Inola Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Unrau said he had to act quickly.
Unrau gave parents the option to pick up their children and finish the school day virtually. Students with cars were also permitted to leave, while those who wanted to remain could stay on campus.
"It shows the flexibility that we have at the school. We have about 1,300 students here, and the faculty are all joining in. We apologize to parents. It's just something that's out of our hands," Unrau said.
The district also had to postpone scheduled athletic physicals. Afternoon bus routes are expected to run as normal at 3:30 p.m.
Mayes County Rural Water District 2 is expected to have the line repaired on Wednesday afternoon.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness
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