LOGAN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – Dozens of Logan County homeowners in the same neighborhood say their water heaters either burst or had valve-issues overnight on Sunday.
“At about 11 o’clock, my wife heard some loud noise screeching,” said Schuyler Moore, who lives in the Cascata Falls neighborhood. “Our high-pressure relief valve was streaming, just spewing water out of it.”
Brandon Rondon is an insurance company owner who also lives in the neighborhood. He told KFOR he had multiple people reach out to him about this burst of bad luck on Monday.
“Within about 45 minutes, I had five people text me about their water heaters busting all within a couple of streets over from where I’m at in Cascata Falls and they all had the same exact thing,” said Rondon. “Their water heater busted overnight, flooding out their stuff and now they’re putting in claims.”
Rondon said from the neighborhood’s Facebook page he’s learned that about 50 other homes were impacted as well.
He told KFOR he reached out to Logan County Rural Water District No. 1 to try to figure out what caused the issue.
“They said that they were replacing a well the night before and that there was a pressure release,” said Rondon.
The agency’s general manager, Buddy Thompson confirmed there was a water main break in the county around 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“One of my operators turned the water off and then went and put our wells on a pressure instead of the VFD (variable frequency drive),” said Thompson. “That’s about the only thing I can tell you.”
However, Thompson said he doesn’t think this was the root of the water heater issues.
“I wouldn’t think so,” said Thompson. “Those residents in that area should have a high-pressure reducing valve on their line.”
Thompson said anyone who experienced this problem should reach out to their homeowners’ insurance.
But, as an insurance agent and homeowner, Rondon says the blame should be on the county.
“Definitely Logan County should be on the hook for this because, you know, they’re the ones that caused all this,” said Rondon. “Logan County is going to mess these people’s insurance up for the next five years at least.”