TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — More tests are needed to ensure that toxins are out of Toledo's water supply, the mayor said Sunday, instructing the 400,000 people in the region to avoid drinking tap water for a second day.
"This is not over yet," Mayor D. Michael Collins said, adding that new samples showing decreased levels of toxins in the water are a positive sign.
Toledo officials issued the warning early Saturday after tests at one treatment plant showed two sample readings for microsystin above the standard for consumption, possibly because of algae on Lake Erie. The city also said not to boil the water because that would only increase the toxin's concentration. The mayor also warned that children should not shower or bathe in the water and that it shouldn't be given to pets.
Long lines quickly formed at water distribution centers and store shelves were emptied of bottled water. The warning effectively cut off the water supply to Toledo, most of its suburbs and a few areas in southeastern Michigan.
City and state officials monitoring the water were waiting for a new set of samples to be analyzed Sunday at a federal lab in Cincinnati, Collins said.
Worried residents told not to drink, brush their teeth or wash dishes with the water waited hours for deliveries of bottled water from across Ohio as the governor declared a state of emergency.
Gov. John Kasich pledged that state agencies were working to bring water and other supplies to areas around Toledo while also assisting hospitals and other businesses affected.
"What's more important than water? Water's about life," Kasich said. "We know it's difficult. We know it's frustrating."
The governor said it was too early to say how long the water advisory will last or what caused toxins to spike suddenly in the drinking water.
"We don't really want to speculate on this," Kasich said. "When it comes to this water, we've got be very careful."
