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The city of Mattoon, Illinois issued two Do Not Drink Orders in July, after unsafe levels of a toxin produced by aquatic bacteria were detected in the municipal water supply. Experts say bacterial growth in Lake Paradise, which serves as the city's primary water source, is linked to nutrient runoff from farms, cities and towns.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Quick-growing blooms of bacteria and algae have long been a hazard in lakes and rivers, because of the toxins they produce. Fueled in part by agricultural runoff, these blooms are also threatening public water systems, making water temporarily unusable, and forcing some cities and towns to take costly preventive measures.
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