Ohio To Help Cities With Water Tests

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Ohio officials are responding to last week's water emergency in Toledo with a plan to help cities test their drinking water and fix up their treatment plants.

The state is making $150 million in low- and no-interest loans available so that cities can upgrade water treatment and wastewater plants.

The plan being announced Thursday and outlined to The Associated Press also calls for the state's Environmental Protection Agency to put $1 million toward new drinking water testing equipment and training for city water operators.

All of those programs will target communities in the Lake Erie watershed and those relying on lakes and rivers for drinking water.

It was nearly two weeks ago that 400,000 people around Toledo were warned not to drink their tap water after it became contaminated.