MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — The relief residents felt on Sunday quickly vanished by Tuesday night in Mattoon. Just two days after lifting the initial “do not drink” order, it was reinstated based on the findings from IEPA tests.
This time around, toxic algal bloom levels were higher than what prompted the first “do not drink” order last Thursday.
Locals acknowledge the city’s efforts to resolve the situation, but believe there’s room for improvement in communication. Genna McCaslin mentioned that those living slightly outside city limits have occasionally received emergency alerts on their phones, though not consistently.
McCaslin confessed that she relies more on social media and news channels than on city notifications for updates. She didn’t receive any alert regarding the renewed order on Tuesday.
“I think the biggest thing for our family is just the lack of trust that we have now, and just trying to restore that trust,” McCaslin said.
Kelli Armes, who lives in the Village of Gays, said she’s never gotten an alert to her phone from the initial order until now.
While the city has been posting regular updates on Facebook, Armes said officials shouldn’t rely on that as their main way of getting the word out. She said people, whether they’re in the city limits or not, should get emergency alerts to their phones if they’re affected.
“Some people do not have Facebook, maybe they don’t even watch the news, but the elderly need to know through some type of communication that there is some type of issue,” Armes said. “This could be very harmful to them, especially the ones that are sick or ailing for some reason.”
Communication is key for families like McCaslin’s, who has an immuno-compromised daughter. McCaslin said that on Tuesday, prior to the initial “do not drink” order, her daughter’s liver levels were higher during routine testing.
Knowing what she does now about the drinking water situation, she wonders just how long the issue had been developing.
“There are children in our area that are immuno-compromised, and that’s really sad to learn via Facebook that this problems causes issues, so sorry it’s just a little frustrating,” McCaslin said.
Aside from the health and communication concerns, the reissued order also poses problems for restaurants.
While some have chosen to close, others like Great Food & Spirits have stayed open from the start. They’ve replaced their usual dishes and silverware with single-use plastic to keep.
While it’s allowed them to keep their doors open, manager Rob Perry said it’s an unexpected financial burden.
“It’s just the cost of doing business,” Perry said. “It’s not only that, it’s the water filters, it’s the ice you’re throwing away, it’s also the cleansing and the sanitation. It’s a lot of extra work, but it’s still worth it. That has to happen because we don’t want sick folks.”
Although it may seem like a lot of bad news, there is still some good to be found. Just like during the first order, Lytle Park and Williams Elementary School are passing out water and filling up jugs.
Lytle Park Superintendent Jacob Fryman said they’ve given out tens of thousands of gallons over the last few days. When he learned that the city was back in need of water, he said there was no shortage of volunteers willing to help out.
“It’s just been wonderful for the community to come together,” Fryman said. “I’ve [gotten] to know a lot of people. It’s been a great opportunity to host, but it’s been awesome distributing the water… It’s also the relationships we make with people and we’re all wishing each other the best and stay hydrated, all the things.”
An emergency alert was sent out Wednesday afternoon saying the current water conditions could continue for the next three to four days. It said, per IEPA, two consecutive positive tests results are required before lifting the advisory.
WCIA has been working to talk with the IEPA and the Coles County Public Health Department, but has yet to hear back. We will continue to share updates as we learn more.
