Water tower levels in Hobart have dropped to critical territory after a key part failed at the regional Foss Water Treatment Plant, prompting city officials to close schools Wednesday and ration drinking water to just one gallon per household per day. Crews are working to repair the broken component, with hopes of having it back in place by Wednesday evening, though the city says there is no firm timeline for when normal service will return.
Rationing Begins as Towers Run Low
According to News 9, Hobart crews pulled the broken part from the Foss plant and sent it to a machine shop for repair, with officials hopeful it can be fixed and reinstalled by Wednesday evening. Even once that happens, the plant will need time to resume operation and then send enough treated water back to Hobart to refill the city's towers, a process officials expect could take roughly 48 hours. The city is working with the Kiowa County emergency manager and state officials to arrange emergency water supplies in the meantime, the outlet reported.
The shortage traces back to how Hobart gets its water in the first place. The city does not run its own treatment plant and instead depends entirely on wholesale water piped in from the Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District, a regional provider that treats water for roughly 17,800 residents across Hobart, Clinton, Cordell, and Bessie. Hobart's four elevated storage towers were also used during a prior emergency.
Where to Get Water Now
Non-potable water tankers have been parked on the north side of the Hobart Police Department for residents who need water for flushing toilets or other non-drinking purposes, available for collection from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents can bring their own containers to fill up, and those with emergency needs outside those hours can call the city's non-emergency line at 580-726-2424.
For drinking water, a 500-gallon tanker is being placed at the Hobart fire station, but supply is limited to one gallon per household per day. Residents must bring their own jug and show an ID or utility bill listing a Hobart address to collect their share. The city also coordinated with the local Walmart manager, who ordered additional bottled water for store shelves, per the same News 9 report. Residents who have access to well water are being asked to use it for non-drinking purposes only, and the city says it will post additional updates as more information becomes available.
A Recurring Vulnerability
A Recurring Vulnerability Hobart has faced a similar water crisis before. The community went through a six-day water crisis in July 2023, when emergency repairs at the same Foss plant forced outdoor water restrictions, including bans on lawn watering and pool filling, until temporary fixes restored flow, the Southwest Ledger reported at the time.
The Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District did receive state help aimed at improving the treatment facility. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board approved $1,409,648 in ARPA grant funding, plus $190,352 in local matching funds, to modernize the aging treatment facility and design a new dissolved air flotation system alongside upgraded automated distribution monitoring. Foss Reservoir is connected to the Washita River.
Hobart's vulnerability isn't unique in rural Oklahoma this year. In August, an equipment failure at the Sardis Lake Water Authority forced 5,500 customers across four counties into emergency conservation, an incident Hoodline previously reported. The police and fire departments are serving as emergency water distribution points.
For now, the immediate focus remains getting the Foss plant's broken part back online and the city's towers refilled.
