400,000 People Warned Not to Drink Toxic Tap Water in Ohio: State of Emergency Declared

(NaturalSociety) Has someone tampered with Ohio’s drinking water? More than 400,000 people have been warned not to drink the tap water as a State of Emergency has been declared for all Toledo residents.

Gov. John Kasich’s emergency order came when a toxic substance was found when testing the water. Bottled water is now being shipped in because grocery store shelves are now depleted. Residents have also been told not to boil water as this will only intensify the level of toxicity in their water.

Many residents still don’t know exactly what toxin is in their water, but Toledo authorities said in a press-release:

“These organisms are capable of producing a number of toxins that may pose a risk to human and animal health.”

Those include vomiting, diarrhea and an overall deterioration of health.

More tests are being conducted and the mayor has suggested he does not now how long the water advisory will be in place. He is urging residents to stay calm.

Joe Andrews, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections had converted its milk-bottling plant near Columbus to package drinking water in large bladders — the kind typically used milk dispensers in restaurants.

Thus far it is suspected that the toxin is possibly the result of algae blooms on Lake Erie, where the city takes it water.

Chemists testing water at Toledo’s Collins Park Water Treatment Plant had two sample readings for microcystin – also known to cause ‘Red Tide.’ One cause of this phenomenon is warmer ocean surface temperatures.

FEMA is on standby to respond to the crisis in Toledo, awaiting a gubernatorial request for aid.

“‘First and foremost, residents must remain calm,’ the Toledo mayor said at a morning press conference. The warning is affecting several suburbs of Toledo as well as a few areas in southeastern Michigan. So far it is suspected that the toxin is possibly the result of algae blooms on Lake Erie, where the city takes it water.”