SALEM, Ore. -- The city's water may be safe to drink as early as Saturday, depending on test results, officials told the city council on Friday.
Results Friday showed that toxins caused by an algae bloom in Detroit Lake, the source of the city's drinking water, were below danger levels, officials said.
The city also is crafting a report on the costs of a secondary water source, likely wells.
In response to the advisory, Gov. Kate Brown ordered the Oregon Military Department to provide additional water supplies to the city of Salem and Marion County. Free water stations were set up at at the following locations:
The following sites are open:
- Wallace Marine Park, 200 Glen Creek Rd. NW, Salem
- Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem
- Bush’s Pasture Park, Mission St. entrance, 600 Mission St. SE, Salem
- Woodmansee Park, 4629 Sunnyside Rd. SE, Salem
- Chemeketa Community College, Brown Parking Lot, 4000 Lancaster Drive NE, Salem
- AMF Firebird Lanes, 4303 Center Street NE, Salem
- Former Chevrolet Dealership, 5325 Denver Street, Turner
Brown declared a state of emergency for Marion and Polk counties to make additional state resources available. The declaration also cites the disruption of the local retail market created by concerns around the quality of the area’s water, giving the Oregon attorney general authority to investigate claims of price gouging by local merchants.
"We have already received consumer complaints from Oregonians who believe they have been the victim of price gouging in the last 48 hours," Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement.
"Anybody else who believes they have been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, should immediately file a complaint at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call the Attorney General's Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392," Rosenblum said.
On Saturday, Salem officials found out there were elevated levels of cyanotoxins in the drinking water.
Tuesday evening, they issued a health advisory alerting parents of children under 6 years old and people with compromised health and immune systems that toxins caused by algae blooms in Detroit Lake had contaminated Salem's water.
Salem mayor: Alert shouldn't have been delayed
On Thursday, Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett told the Statesman Journal he did not OK the decision to delay alerting the public and does not agree with it.
"I wasn’t contacted about the advisory and I don’t agree with delaying it once you know the situation," Bennett said in a Facebook message from Wales.
Bennett said, "The entire emergency notification system failed including the state and city communications during this period, which added to the sense of panic some residents experienced."
The mayor also pointed to a Wednesday press conference at City Hall where city officials attempted to answer questions about the water advisory. "The staff held a press conference and were not prepared for some of the questions asked," Bennett said.
That advisory remains in place, although the latest concentrations of the cyanotoxins are not considered dangerous for healthy adults.
People receiving dialysis treatment, people with pre-existing liver conditions, pregnant women and nursing mothers should still avoid tap water in Salem, Stayton and Turner.
Roughly 180,000 people live in the cities that get their water from the North Santiam River.
What to know:
- Salem residents are outraged about the delay between when officials found out and when they issued the advisory. One resident, Christine Kidd, told the Statesman Journal by email: "We know of a young student living in Salem with cancer who is on chemotherapy now. This brave young person and their family had the right to know about the water contamination immediately, not after 10 days had passed. So frustrating."
- The Oregon Health Authority has advised Salem hospitals against using the tainted tap water, providing this guidance: "At drinking water advisory levels, hospitals should not use tap water for patient care that includes washing open wounds or exposed tissues unless the water has been treated at the facility to remove cyanotoxins. Hospitals that pre-treat water from the local public water supply using reverse osmosis, nanofiltration or continuous disinfection with chlorine as per recommended treatment specifications may continue to use the water for patient care."
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