Current:Home > FinanceAfter heavy June rains, a buildup of manganese is discoloring a Louisiana city’s water supply-InfoLens
After heavy June rains, a buildup of manganese is discoloring a Louisiana city’s water supply
View Date:2024-12-23 15:34:08
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Unusually high concentrations of the mineral manganese are discoloring the drinking water in the northwest Louisiana city of Shreveport, where officials have been fighting the problem for over a month.
The manganese isn’t considered a health hazard for the general population. But the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate reports that drinking water from taps in many Shreveport homes began to take on a yellowish or greenish color soon after early June rains were followed by a buildup of manganese in Cross Lake. The lake is the source of the city’s drinking water.
City workers’ latest efforts to fight the problem include scraping the tanks where impurities settle out of the drinking water during the treatment process. The unusually high concentration of manganese coming from the lake created sludge piles on the tank bottoms.
City officials aren’t sure of the reasons for the increased manganese levels. Possible reasons include runoff from construction sites after the heavy June downpours or natural occurrences related to temperature changes,
Water and Sewerage Department Director William Daniel said the manganese in tanks reverts to a gas and goes back into the water. “We’ve never had this much manganese in our water before,” Daniel said.
Daniel said Monday that dissolved manganese levels in the water were still at about 0.15 milligrams per liter when they should be about 0.05 milligrams per liter. Environmental Protection Agency literature says staining and a bitter metallic taste are problems when manganese concentration in water reaches .05 milligrams per liter.
The agency doesn’t have mandatory water quality standards for manganese but has issued guidance that includes a recommendation that the general population not consume more than 1 milligram of manganese per liter of water for more than 10 days per year. Lower levels are a concern, however, for infants, according to the Louisiana Department of Health website.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards
- Democrats control Michigan for the first time in 40 years. They want gun control
- 'Dr. Lisa on the Street' busts health myths and empowers patients
- Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
- Standing Rock: Tribes File Last-Ditch Effort to Block Dakota Pipeline
- NYC Mayor Eric Adams Calls Out Reckless and Irresponsible Paparazzi After Harry and Meghan Incident
- A new, experimental approach to male birth control immobilizes sperm
- US Diplomats Notch a Win on Climate Super Pollutants With Help From the Private Sector
- Cook Inlet Gas Leak Remains Unmonitored as Danger to Marine Life Is Feared
Ranking
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- DOE Explores a New Frontier In Quest for Cheaper Solar Panels
- The Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea is a concern — and a chance for progress
- Comedian Andy Smart Dies Unexpectedly at Age 63: Eddie Izzard and More Pay Tribute
- Ryan Reynolds Clarifies Taylor Swift’s Role as Godmother to His Kids With Blake Lively
- Get $640 Worth of Skincare for Just $60: Peter Thomas Roth, Sunday Riley, EltaMD, Tula, Elemis, and More
- Woman arrested after allegedly shooting Pennsylvania district attorney in his office
- In Battle to Ban Energy-Saving Light Bulbs, GOP Defends ‘Personal Liberty’
Recommendation
-
DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
-
House Bill Would Cut Clean Energy and Efficiency Programs by 40 Percent
-
The glam makeovers of Pakistan's tractors show how much farmers cherish them
-
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Thinks He and Maria Shriver Deserve an Oscar for Their Divorce
-
Man killed by police in Minnesota was being sought in death of his pregnant wife
-
UK Carbon Emissions Fall to 19th Century Levels as Government Phases Out Coal
-
Regulators Demand Repair of Leaking Alaska Gas Pipeline, Citing Public Hazard
-
Jennifer Lopez Details Her Kids' Difficult Journey Growing Up With Famous Parents