Salem-area water alert extended through Monday

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Officials have extended a limited do-not-drink advisory for tap water in the Salem area through at least Monday.

The advisory does not include healthy adults, only children, the elderly, nursing mothers and those with medical sensitivities including compromised immune systems.

In announcements on the city website and via automated phone calls Friday, Salem officials said a sample collected earlier in the week showed elevated levels of toxins linked to an ongoing algae bloom in a municipal reservoir.

The advisory extended in Friday’s announcement was originally issued May 29.

Officials lifted the original advisory Saturday but re-issued it Wednesday, and acknowledged that due to a lag in receiving water test results, toxins had actually reached warning levels the day after the advisory was lifted, but weren’t discovered for three days.