May 8—The city of McAlester remained under a mandatory boil order from the state Department of Environmental Quality early Monday.

City Manager David Andren said he expected more official test results sometime during the day.

Andren hoped the city would hit two benchmarks still required by the DEQ — 48 hours of successful water quality tests and 48 hours of 25 or more psi water pressure in the city water lines.

He said the city hit the 25 psi as required around on Saturday afternoon. Therefore, it would take until Monday afternoon to hit the 48-hour water pressure benchmark — and that's if everything went according to plan.

Also, the DEQ has to confirm the 25 or greater psi has been adequately reached for the required 48-hour period.

Meanwhile, the DEQ confirmed to the News-Capital around 11 a.m. Monday, May 8, that the DEQ-issued mandatory boil order remained in place for the city of McAlester.

It also remained in place for five rural water districts which purchase their water from the city of McAlester. Those are Pittsburg County Rural Water Districts No. 5, 6, 7, 9 and 16.

The DEQ boil order still in effect as of early Monday, May 8, states the agency has advised the McAlester Public Works Authority to inform users of its drinking water "to use water that has been brought to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute, bottled water, or water from another acceptable source for consumption, use in food preparation, dishwashing and brushing teeth."

"This Boil Order replaces the previous Do Not Use order and was issued due the lack of water pressure over a prolonged period of time," the DEQ order states.

Even if 48 hours of successful water quality test results are obtained by the city sometime on Monday, the water pressure benchmark must be cleared as well — and both must be approved by the DEQ.