TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Ohio's fourth-largest city has warned residents not to consume its water after tests revealed the presence of a toxin possibly related to cyanobacteria on Lake Erie.
Toledo issued the warning early Saturday. It said tests at one treatment plant returned two sample readings for microsystin above the standard for consumption.
The city warned against boiling because it will only increase the toxin's concentration. The advisory covers city residents and those in Lucas County served by the city's water supply.
The city's advisory says Lake Erie may have been affected by a bloom of harmful cyanobacteria that produces the toxin. Consuming the tainted water could result in vomiting, diarrhea and other problems.
Toledo is home to about 280,000 people. The city says more tests are being run.
More information has been posted on the city's Facebook page here.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story referred to "algae blooms" in Lake Erie. These are really bacterial blooms (cyanobacteria) that look like algae. The copy has been clarified above.
