Belfonte Elementary School near Muldrow, Okla., is closed Monday (Oct. 21) because school does not have water, according to Superintendent Paul Pinkerton.
Vance Mooney with the Sequoyah County Water Association estimates 800 households in Sequoyah County were also affected by the water main break.
Mooney said the they were alerted to the problem by computers monitoring the water levels around 1 a.m. Monday. Crews began to valve off sections of the water main until the break was located in a rural area near Jeremiah Mountain, according to Mooney.
Mooney said crews immediately went to work to repair the pipe once the break was located.
Pinkerton said when he learned that even after the break was located it would take a few hours to repair and another two to three hours for the tank to refill, he made the decision to keep students at home today.
"We've got to have water to cook and we've got to have water for the bathrooms," he said.
Pinkerton said Belfonte students should be prepared to return to class Tuesday.
Mooney said those affected by the main break were without water for up to two hours. He said there would not be a boil order issued following Monday's main break.