Staff and inmates at Stillwater State Prison are now using bottled water while more comprehensive water testing is performed at the facility.
This comes after about 100 inmates refused to return to their cells a week ago to protest the prison's living conditions.
In a statement, state corrections officials the testing is scheduled for the coming week to determine the specific levels and types of sediments in the prison's water supply, which comes from a well.
The testing is expected to determine the level of sediments such as iron, rust, and manganese, which are common for well water.
Officials say cell faucets will also be tested during this week's procedure.
"We are also calling on any water company to deliver, donate water to the inmates of Stillwater immediately," said
Marvina Haynes, founder of the group Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform, during a rally at the prison on Friday. "They cannot go another day with drinking that water with all of those contaminations in it."
Recent testing by the state health department and a third party showed the water at Stillwater prison is safe to drink, and there are no reports of water-related illness.
“We recognize there are sediments in the well water which can at times affect clarity with a reddish-brown tint,” said DOC spokesman Andy Skoogman. “It’s important to point out that although the water may be unclear, it has not been deemed unsafe through the routine third party water testing.”
Skoogman said the planned water analysis will help the DOC identify and implement its long-term water filtration strategy.