Toledo Water Supply Contaminated By Toxins

Residents of Toledo, Ohio, were warned not to drink the city's water this after toxins were found in the water supply.

According to the Associated Press, the warning was issued just after midnight on Saturday after the toxins were detected at a Toledo water treatment plant. The toxins are suspected to have come from algae on Lake Erie. Nobody has yet been reported to have been sickened by the water, but residents have been warned not to use the water to brush their teeth, and not to attempt to boil it, because boiling only increases the concentration of the toxin. People have not been advised to stop taking baths or showers.

All Toledo restaurants have been asked to temporarily close down over the tainted water.

Governor John Kasich has declared a state of emergency, which means the National Guard and Department of Transportation have been able to start delivering water to Toledo.

"It is understandable that there is a huge degree of public concern, but we would advise everyone to remain calm, an alternative water supply and a distribution system will be announced as quickly as possible," the city said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Update: Toledo mayor D. Michael Collins announced during a press conference on Monday, August 4 that the city's water is safe to drink and that the ban has been lifted.