Drink Up! Salem, MA's Water Is Toxin-Free!

SALEM, MA -- City officials were fielding calls Friday about toxins in drinking water that prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency. The only problem is that the toxins were in Salem, OR's drinking water, not Salem MA's drinking water. But Salem, MA had received so many calls on the issue that officials were planning to send out a reverse 911 call Friday morning letting residents know the local tap water is as safe as it ever was.

"Our water in Salem, MA is just fine. Pour a glass and drink up," City Councilor Josh Turiel posted on Facebook. In addition to City Councilors and City Hall, the city's water plant was also fielding calls from worried residents.

In Salem, OR, toxins were discovered in routine testing earlier this week. In addition to trying to determine the cause of the problem and how to fix it, officials in Oregon are also investigating reports of price-gouging for bottle water.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).