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MANGANESE…

 You will notice a slight discoloration of your water over the next week or so as summer temperatures come upon us. This is caused by manganese. Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral found in the soils and waters of Central Texas and is even inhaled as dust in the atmosphere. Manganese is classified by the Food and Drug Administration as a micronutrient and is commonly found, in abundance, in foods such as nuts, beans, tea, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and even chocolate with typical intake for the United States at 6.4mg/day from food and water consumption. The Food and drug administration suggest between 5 to 10 mg of manganese as the recommended daily allowance of manganese to promote proper health based on individual needs. The current manganese level is 0.03 parts per million (PPM) and the state regulated maximum level is 0.05 PPM. Remember, manganese is a secondary nutrient according to TCEQ standards. It is not regulated as a primary constituent because it is only an aesthetic problem, over the 0.05 level, but not harmful to your health.

 In Central Texas manganese tends to be a nuisance for water supplies and customers in the summer because of the geology, hydrology, and climate. Since manganese and many other minerals such as calcium, iron, bicarbonates, and magnesium are present in great abundance in the rocks and soils of our region and are easily dissolved in water; they are always naturally present in our surface and ground waters. In periods where we have large amounts of rainfall in the winter and spring, large amounts of manganese along with other minerals are dissolved and transported through our watersheds, such as the Lampasas River, to our water reservoirs like Stillhouse Lake. If the summers are cool which keeps the lake temperatures down, these minerals come out of solution in the water and settle at the bottom of the lake. If temperatures are high, the minerals stay in solution in the water and therefore are transported into our treatment plant. It's like adding sugar to tea. If the tea is hot you can add in a lot of sugar and it will easily dissolve. If the tea is cold, some of the sugar ends up on the bottom of your glass no matter how much you mix it in.

 After water is processed through the treatment plant, by being treated and filtered according to State and Federal Standards to kill any dangerous organisms and remove other inorganic hazards, it is pumped to several holding tanks and through our distribution system. At this point the water begins to cool and the excess manganese begins to come out of solution with the water creating the nuisance of brown tinted water just like the excess sugar in the cold tea.

As SWSC members you can help by:

  • Calling the office at 254-947-5425 and letting our staff know if your water is discolored so they can take action to flush the lines.
  • After the distribution department flushes the main lines it is recommended for you to run a garden hose or sink until the water begins to clear. This will help flush the lines in your house more quickly than intermittent use.
  • Visit our website at Saladowsc.com to sign up for phone/email/text alerts and for more information.
  • Please do not hesitate to call us with any questions, concerns or ideas.

Temporary Moratorium

Salado WSC implements an immediate Temporary Moratorium on adding any new developments to the water system within its CCN service area. Please click here for details.

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