Muskogee residents mobile home park without water as management works to resolve water bill

How long have residents been without water?

Residents at Blue Sky Acres have been without running water for three days. Roy Shamel, who has lived at the park for 14 years and owns his home, said residents have been hauling water to get by.

“I’m 73 years old and I grew up with hard times, so I know how to function without it. There’s different ways to do stuff, such as haul water. That way you can place your toilet. And that’s what I do.”

Why was the water shut off?

Artemis Management says Blue Sky Acres received more than $11,000 in water bills over the past two months.

The company says the park’s water bills previously averaged between $1,400 and $1,700 per month.

Artemis said the water account is in the name of Kronos MHP and that the management company contacted Muskogee County Rural Water District 1 after noticing the significant increase in water usage.

The company said it did not receive a solution to the increased bills or notice that the water service would be shut off.

Was there a water leak?

Several residents told News On 6 they noticed a water meter leaking near the property manager’s trailer between May and June. Residents believe the leak may have contributed to the higher water bills, but that has not been independently confirmed. Shamel said he believes the leak came from that area.

“The only water leak come from that building up there.”

What does the management company say about the bill?

“We have been working around the clock with the park owners to resolve this issue. At the core, in the last two months Sky-Blue Acres received $11,290.00 worth of water bills in a mobile home park with 12 tenants. Previously Sky-Blue Acres water bills averages between $1400 and $1700 a month. Prior to the shut off we had reached out RWD 1 about the enormous increase in water usage and possible solutions, we received no help or solution. Additionally, we did not receive any notice of the shut-off. When we spoke to RWD 1 on Wednesday, after the shut off, they informed us the bill must be paid in person with a cashier’s check and it would take an additional 48 hours to return service. The owners have a plan to pay in full on Monday, Sept 28th. We feel absolutely horrible for the tenants and completely understand the frustration.

We have also attempted to contact Muskogee County Emergency Management several times with no answer or reply, in hope they may be able to help.

Below are communications to the tenants at Sky Blue Acres:

We sincerely apologize for the interruption of water service and understand how difficult and inconvenient this situation is for everyone. Please know that we are actively working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The water account is in the name of Kronos MHP. At this time, Muskogee County RWD 1 has not been willing to work with us on a payment arrangement or other solution that would allow the water service to be restored. There is currently a balance of approximately $11,290 required for RWD 1 to reconnect the water. This amount represents only two months of water bills.
We are doing everything within our ability to resolve this matter and are cooperating with any agency or organization that may be able to provide emergency assistance or direct-to-vendor payments to Muskogee County RWD 1 to help restore water service.

If you are able to apply for assistance, please contact the following resources:

• KI BOIS Muskogee County Office: (918) 684-7258
• Muscogee Nation Hardship Program: (918) 732-7720
• Cherokee Nation Human Services: (918) 453-5422

If you have a tribal card, we strongly encourage you to contact the appropriate tribal assistance program to see if you qualify for emergency assistance.

We will be contacting Muskogee County Emergency Management in the morning and will be actively working with them to explore possible solutions to this situation.

Any assistance that can be paid directly to RWD 1 toward the outstanding water balance for Kronos MHP may help us resolve this crisis and restore water service more quickly.

We sincerely apologize for the hardship and inconvenience this situation is causing. We understand how important it is for everyone to have access to water, and we are continuing to work on solutions and will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

When could the water be restored?

Artemis Management says the owners plan to pay the approximately $11,290 balance Monday, Sept. 28.

The company said Rural Water District 1 told it that, after payment is made, it could take another 48 hours to restore service.

That means residents could remain without running water for several more days.

What are residents saying?

Shamel said residents should not have to live without running water when they have been paying their individual bills.

“Things like this shouldn’t ever happen to start with. Because these people out here pay the bills. They just won’t give up the money to pay their bills.”

Shamel said he wants to remain at Blue Sky Acres, where he built his home.

“I enjoy living out here. And I don’t ever want to move. … it’s hard for me to start all over someplace again.”