The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) upon recommendation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is now testing for manganese, which is Contaminant of Emerging Concern (CEC) but is unregulated at this time.

The City of Currie has received information that tests have shown levels of manganese that are greater than MDH recommended guideline values.

Manganese in the water supply is not new.  It occurs naturally in rocks and soil and is usually present in Minnesota’s ground and surface waters and is just now being recognized as a potential problem. 

Manganese levels for drinking water are most likely within accepted guidelines if your home has a water softener that is functioning properly and/or water filter designed to remove Manganese.

The City of Currie is currently taking steps to improve reduction of manganese levels at the treatment plant.

The City of Currie is recommending:

1) Use purified bottled water for drinking, especially if you have an infant under one year.

2) Filter your drinking water with a water filter pitcher or filtering unit attached to a faucet, provided the filter is designed to remove manganese.

3) Make certain your water softener is in good working order. 

This issue is being addressed and should be resolved in the coming months.