TOLEDO, Ohio — The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department said Monday that two public health advisories remain in place after E. coli was found in Swan Creek and Delaware Creek following a sewer overflow situation.
The two public health advisories were issued last week. They came after the city identified a new sewer overflow that's connected to the collapse of a major sewer interceptor on Arlington Avenue which created the original issue and began investigating it after receiving reports of a strong odor along the creek. It led to the discovery of an overflowing manhole near 2520 Wildwood, the city said.
There was a partial collapse of the interceptor in early May that caused similar overflows, and now it has fully collapsed, blocking all flow through the 48-inch sanitary main, the city explained.
After testing the water in Swan Creek and Delaware Creek and finding a presence of E. coli, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Health Department issued two public health advisories, urging residents to stay away from the water.
The advisories still remain intact on Monday, and the department said they'll stay in place until the E. coli levels go down.
The public health advisory for Swan Creek includes its tributaries, including Heilman Ditch, from Eastgate Road to the Maumee River.
The city said weekly water testing of Swan Creek, Heilman Ditch and Delaware Creek will continue.
“We appreciate the public’s continued patience as we respond to these concerns and work to correct the situation,” said Doug Stephens, director of Public Utilities, in a release from Friday. “Today’s improvements to bypass pumping have already made a visible difference, but we remain committed to full transparency and environmental protection until the Arlington sewer is fully repaired.”
