Water health advisory due to manganese lifted in South Salt Lake
Jul 7, 2021, 7:03 PM
Photo of the element manganese that was found in the drinking water in South Salt Lake City. [Photo Credit: Canva Images]
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — South Salt Lake officials lifted an earlier alert regarding manganese in the drinking water Wednesday.
On June 29, 2021, officials found elevated levels of manganese in a water system well located at approximately 300 East.
The approximate location of the water well. [Photo Credit: Google Maps]
Officials taking action to clear up the water
South Salt Lake officials stated in the release they are taking action to clear up the water for residents. “‘[The] water system is conducting flushing of water mains in impacted areas in order to reduce the manganese concentrations.”
According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality stated, “Water from wells very rarely requires treatment or disinfection.” When water treatment does take place, they add chlorine to kill germs and bacteria but chlorine does not harm humans directly.
“The water system resumed its treatment process used to reduce [the] manganese levels and discoloration issues on Sunday,” the release stated. Finally, the city will take ongoing samples and will notify the public continuously of those results till levels are normal.
Sample results of South Salt Lake water
In addition to manganese, officials also tested the water for iron, lead, and copper. “Elevated iron levels have been found above the secondary drinking water standards,” the release stated.
Photo of the water sample results for South Salt Lake City near 300 East. [Photo Credit: Public Notice for South Salt Lake Water System Health Advisory]
Again, there are no health effects from exceeding the secondary standard for iron but high amounts of it cause discoloration and odor in the water. If you experience discoloration or odor to your water, the release advised you run your tap until the issue goes away.
