WINNIPEG – Water treatment plant processes will be modified and water lines will be flushed more frequently in an effort to reduce the amount of brown water pouring out of Winnipeg taps, city officials say.
The brown water was largely caused by increased levels of manganese in the water, said Diane Sacher, director of the Winnipeg water and waste department, at a news conference Thursday.
A report into what was causing the dirty water was released at the news conference.
“The report outlines a number of measures we can take to reduce the levels of manganese, several of which are well underway,” Coun. Justin Swandel said at the news conference.
Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in foods including nuts, legumes, seeds, tea, whole grains and leafy green vegetables, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It identifies the tolerable upper limit for adults as 11 milligrams of manganese per day.
Sacher outlined a number of actions the city is taking or plans to take to reduce the brown water problem.
The primary source of the increased manganese is ferric chloride, which is used in one of the Winnipeg water treatment plant’s treatment processes.
“Our immediate actions include switching to a new water treatment product that contains lower levels of manganese, and fast tracking the schedule of the annual water main cleaning program to clean all 2,581 kilometres in just two years, compared to the routine program of six years,” Sacher said. “Winnipeggers should expect to see some difference this summer since we’re starting this work immediately.”
The report was written by outside experts hired to look into why so many people experienced problems with their tap water last summer.
While occasional reports of brown water in the summer have long been a problem in Winnipeg, far more complaints were made in 2013, and the issue persisted into fall. Parts of St. Vital were placed under a boil water advisory in October.
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