ARDMORE, Okla. -- It was a rude awakening Thursday for thousands of people in Ardmore when they discovered there was no water for that morning shower.

City officials say they were performing some routine work in the overnight hours which required pumps to be shut off, but that job took much longer than expected.

Of course, usage is at its highest in the mornings, and apparently the residual pressure in the lines just was not enough.

"This was a learning experience for us, too. Usually they go off without a hitch, no one even notices, and we don't have the type of problems we had this morning," Ardmore Fire Chief J.D. Spohn said.

The pumps are now back on, and officials say the water pressure across town will eventually get back to normal.

Citizens are asked to refrain from watering their lawns or washing cars until Friday to help speed up the process.