Schools in Colcord, Oklahoma will be closed for the week due to a. . .(hope you’re not eating) . . .blood worm infestation.

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issued a “do not drink the water” order pending further water testing.   City workers found the worms in the water tower on Tuesday; the red colored pests are passing through filters and into the distribution lines, although officials have no idea what caused the infestation.

The cockroach of the earthworm community, blood worms measure a half-inch to one inch long and are impervious to chlorine; putting them directly into a container of bleach for several hours won’t even kill them.  So, the only solution is to drain the main storage tanks and scrub them clean; as of Wednesday evening, officials say they found no worms in the storage tanks after they drained them.

City officials must submit water samples for three days in a row; if the lines remain clear, the DEQ will lift the gag. . .I mean the “do not drink the water” . . .order.