Hominy is in crisis. After days of relentless rain, city officials suspect a portion of the concrete spillway chute caved in from the force of water, possibly crushing the main water line and leaving the town without water. As of press time, city officials say the town’s three water tanks are empty and no water is flowing.
“First of all, we’re waiting on several different experts from the state and the Corps of Engineers, and ORWB (Oklahoma Water Resources Board) engineers to come out and take a look,” said Diana Garrett, interim Hominy city manager. “An engineer has given us a suggestion to bypass and fill the tank back up. We don’t know if it will work, but we’re going to give it a try. It’s going to take a while, but the tanks are empty. There’s no more water pushing out, it’s just a matter of minutes to an hour, but we’re going to try these temporary fixes.”
Hominy Municipal Lake is located along State Highway 20, roughly 1.7 miles west of downtown Hominy. Established in 1940, the lake serves as the town’s main water source, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. However, Hominy citizens say the current lake was established in 1957.
Chris Maker, Hominy City Councilor, said the city needs water donations, particularly bottles of water. He said people interested in donating can bring the water to the Nadel-Gussman building at Hwy 99 and Friends Rd., located north of Friends Church and across the highway from the elementary school.
“Water donations would be great,” he said. “We’re having trouble getting a lot of water donated right now. Water buffaloes are going to Cleveland to get water from the city of Cleveland, three water buffaloes.”
He said Osage Nation Emergency Management brought 2-3 pallets of water and ON Wildland Fire brought water. Osage News reached out to Osage Casinos CEO Kimberly Pearson, and she said the casino ordered water to be delivered to Hominy. ON Financial Assistance was having a staff meeting about the crisis this morning and said they would be sharing information on assistance as well.
It’s been all-hands on deck since the water crisis began last night. City crews, councilors, and the mayor were up all night searching for the break. As of press time, Mayor Donnie Reed was unavailable for comment because he was on a boat helping crews shut the water off.
The crisis has reignited concerns about aging infrastructure across Osage County, affecting towns like Barnsdall and Pawhuska as well. On Wednesday, city officials in Barnsdall reported a temporary patch failed on the dam over Lake Waxhoma, stemming from a significant breach in 2019.
With no easy fix in sight for the cities of Hominy and Barnsdall, questions remain: who will fund the necessary upgrades, and when?
“This is an act of nature, and it’s not forgiving,” Garrett said. “We’re doing everything we can, but it may take days to fully restore water.”
UPDATE: 12:01 p.m.
According to Felix Nance, city of Hominy Emergency Management Director, two water buffaloes have arrived in Hominy and the third is en route from Cleveland. Water distribution will open at noon at the city building across the street from the Friends Church. Osage Nation Health Systems has also delivered a shipment of water.
UPDATE: 1:53 p.m.
According to a City of Hominy Facebook page post, bottled water is now available at the Nadel-Gussman building at Hwy 99 and Friends Rd., located north of Friends Church and across the highway from the elementary school. City officials are asking that residents bring a utility bill or driver’s license to show proof of residency. In the post they noted that the water from the water buffaloes should be used for non-drinking purposes, such as bathing and dishwashing.
UPDATE: 2:26 p.m.
Osage Casinos CEO Kimberly Pearson said the Hominy casino location will be distributing water bottles on Friday, May 2, and ON Emergency Management Director Bobby Tallchief will be in charge of that distribution. She said the Skiatook and Pawhuska casino locations will offer hotel rooms for Hominy residents to shower. Unfortunately, due to the busy weekend, most of the casino’s hotels are sold out. But, they can offer one room in Skiatook and two in Pawhuska. She said Hominy residents will need to make an appointment, show proof of Hominy residency, such as a Driver’s License. She said if the crisis continues, they will re-evaluate the situation next week.
