Environment
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Still no drinking water in Toledo
Residents told not to drink or touch the water for a second day
by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA |
Reporter
Kabir Bhatia | | |
 | | Satellite image of past algae blooms in western Lake Erie. | | Courtesy of NOAA |
About half-a-million people in Toledo are still without drinking water due to high toxin levels from algae on Lake Erie.
Algal blooms are fairly common on Lake Erie, which supplies most of the water for Toledo, an hour west of Cleveland. Harmful algae blooms can be linked to runoff from excessively fertilized fields or malfunctioning septic systems.
City officials have warned against drinking or even touching the water since early Saturday, and boiling will actually increase the toxin's concentration.
Ohio's EPA expects test results today to determine if the water is safe, and the agency is trying to figure out what caused the sudden spike in toxins.
Gov. John Kasich has declared a state of emergency and dispatched the National Guard to the Toledo area after stores there -- and over the border in Michigan -- began running out of bottled water.
In response, Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials say the water there is safe to drink. Cleveland officials also say their water is safe, since it comes from Lake Erie’s eastern basin. |
|
Cleveland chips away at its lead-paint problem
