An unprecedented spike in manganese levels in the Highland/Fernwood Water Service Area has prompted the Capital Regional District (CRD) to issue a water quality advisory for the entire service area.
Infants’ consumption of the water is the biggest concern, explains a public service announcement from the CRD released on the afternoon of Friday, July 11.
“Due to the elevated levels of manganese, infants should not consume tap water or formula made with tap water. Bottled water should be used when preparing infant formula.
“As a precaution, it is recommended to avoid drinking discoloured water, or using discoloured water to prepare food or infant formula. Older children and adults are less sensitive to manganese than infants and Health Canada suggests that the health risk from manganese concentrations of less than 300 ppb is much lower for older children and adults.”
Boiling the water does not eliminate the health risk.
The CRD states that “manganese is a naturally occurring element that is present throughout the environment and can normally be found in many surface and groundwater sources. Frequently, as observed at Highland/Fernwood, episodes of high manganese concentrations can be a seasonal occurrence. Manganese is an essential nutrient and consuming a small amount of manganese is necessary to maintain overall health. Until recently, elevated levels of manganese in drinking water were not considered a health risk and were only viewed as an aesthetic concern. The latest science now associates high concentrations of manganese in drinking water with health issues in infants (birth to one year old). High levels of manganese can make water appear brown, purple or black at concentrations less than what Health Canada considers the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) in drinking water.
While Health Canada has set a MAC for manganese at 120 parts per billion (ppb) and an aesthetic objective of 20 ppb, the CRD says manganese concentrates are currently greater than 120 ppb in several parts of the Highland/Fernwood water distribution system.
“This is the first time that the Highland/Fernwood drinking water system has experienced such a high spike of manganese concentrations,” the advisory states. “The CRD will be monitoring closely manganese concentrations in the system and, in collaboration with Island Health, will determine when it is appropriate to rescind this water quality advisory.”
For health-related questions, contact Island Health Environmental Public Health Services at 250-519-3401 or Gateway_Office@island health.ca.
For updates, see crd.ca/alerts.