TOLEDO, Ohio — UPDATE: The city says "elevated levels" of E. coli were confirmed by water samples taken along Delaware Creek.

A public health advisory has been issued by the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department for residents, who are urged to avoid contact with the creek water.

The city says the advisory will be in place until further notice.

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A sewage overflow in south Toledo has contaminated Delaware Creek and left residents in the Beverly neighborhood grappling with a persistent stench.

City officials say the leak began after a water main collapsed near Arlington Avenue on May 25, causing raw sewage to spill into the creek and prompting widespread concern.

Abed Semaan, a longtime employee with the city of Toledo, described the situation as the worst contamination he’s seen in

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