Residents should not drink tap water in the city of Salem, Oregon, officials said after low levels of cyanotoxins were found in the Detroit Reservoir that supplies the city and nearby areas.
Children, nursing mothers, and those with immune system deficiencies should especially heed the warning, The Oregonian reported.
The Oregon communities are being advised to use bottled water for cooking and washing food. Residents can still use the water for showering, washing hands or dishes, cleaning, and doing laundry.
The city of Turner also is affected by the cyanotoxins, which are caused by algae blooms in the water that get out of control. Exposure to the toxins for more than 10 days can cause vomiting and diarrhea in vulnerable populations, and in some cases kidney and liver damage, The Oregonian reported.
Residents of the affected areas quickly cleared bottled water from shelves and are reportedly driving around 20 miles away to look for bottled water, The Statesman Journal reported.
The city of Salem and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management have both declined to coordinate water distribution points, OEM spokesman Cory Grogan said, adding that more water supplies should be coming to stores.
“It benefits them economically to be distributing water,” he said, the Journal reported. Some stores in the area were reportedly raising prices in the face of dwindling supply.
Salem schools offered bottled water to pre-K through first grade students, as well as those who are medically fragile, and staff members who nursing or pregnant, The Statesman Journal reported. Meal preparation will also be adjusted to ensure the safety of all students until the water is deemed safe, school officials said.
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