by Greg Brown, originally posted on November 24, 2016

NOWATA COUNTY, Okla. – Quick facts:

• Nowata County residents are asked to conserve water after the Neodesha, Kansas, explosion.
• Officials said they have water in the tower and normal usage should be good for 24 hours.
• The move comes after the explosion reportedly caused water contamination.
• Coffeyville, Kansas, was put under a Stage 3 Water Emergency as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Nowata County residents are losing water just in time for Thanksgiving after an explosion in Neodesha, Kansas.

Nowata officials said the Department of Environmental Quality said their water, which comes from Coffeyville, Kansas, was contaminated after the blast early Wednesday.

Though there is water in the Nowata tower, officials are asking residents to conserve water. They said normal usage should be good for 24 hours.

They are not sure when water will be restored.

Officials say they have a large supply of bottled water for citizens.

Coffeyville was placed under a Stage 4 Water Emergency effective as of 8 p.m. Wednesday. All restaurants, car washes and laundromats will closed under the warning. Residents are asked to limit water to life-sustaining use only.

They are working with the state to get assistance with drinking water. Officials said they hope the emergency management will deploy the Oklahoma National Guard to bring in a water tanker.

The Department of Environmental Quality is still testing the water, and they are not sure which chemical contaminated the water at this time.

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