Drinking Water Advisory
PIERRE, SD – At the recommendation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the City of Pierre is issuing a drinking water advisory due to the manganese levels naturally present in the City’s public water supply.
Manganese is not currently regulated by the EPA. However, as a precautionary effort to protect your health, the City of Pierre has been directed to advise consumers not to drink City tap water unless it is filtered by a properly operating and maintained in-home water softener or reverse osmosis system.
“Tests indicate that tap water that has been treated by a properly maintained in-home system can eliminate manganese concerns,” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding.
The EPA is currently collecting more data to determine if manganese should be regulated in drinking water.
City Utilities Director Brad Palmer says that Pierre’s water hasn’t changed.
“We remain in compliance with all state and federal drinking water standards,” said Brad Palmer, City Utilities Director. “EPA has a new emphasis on manganese in drinking water and is requiring larger systems to test for manganese.”
The EPA recommends that manganese levels be below 1.0 mg / L for adults and 0.3 mg / L for infants under six months. Samples of the City’s water show manganese levels of 2.5 mg / L. Tests also show the manganese levels can be brought into acceptable levels if treated through properly maintained reverse osmosis or water softener systems.
The City of Pierre is in the process of building a water treatment facility using Missouri River surface water, which does not contain elevated levels of manganese. When the facility is operational, the manganese concern will be eliminated.
“We are doing everything we can to get that facility built as quickly and safely as we can,” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding. “For drinking or cooking, we are advising our citizens to use bottled water or water that has been filtered through a properly maintained reverse osmosis or water softener system.”
The water treatment facility is scheduled to be operational in late 2021. The City is reviewing other drinking water solutions that may be implemented by customers until the water treatment facility is complete.
For additional information, visit CityofPierre.org.