The Ontario community of Meaford has declared an emergency and is telling residents not to drink water from the municipal system after a fire at an auto shop sparked environmental concerns.
The municipality says there are concerns about contaminants from the fire leaching into the ground and residue from the fire site flowing into the water system.
It says declaring an emergency grants it more powers to respond to the situation.
Meaford says the fire consumed an auto shop on Thursday evening in the community about 85 kilometres northwest of Barrie, Ont.
The municipality says a “do not consume” water advisory will remain in place until the Environment Ministry confirms that the local water supply is safe to drink.
It says residents can pick up bottled water from a local community centre.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
