Quesnel, B.C – The City of Quesnel has hired drinking water engineers to create a water treatment system design to remove manganese from the drinking water. They have completed conceptual designs and are now furthering the design phase. Chlorination and filtration using pyrolusite media is selected as the preferred treatment option.
The City’s drinking water is out of compliance with new (2019) Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Health Canada’s Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for Manganese is now set at 0.12 mg/L and currently the City of Quesnel water quality ranges from <0.01 mg/L to 0.6 mg/L (average of 0.22 mg/L).
Manganese is a naturally occurring element that can be found in rocks, soil, and water. While manganese is an essential nutrient that our bodies need in small amounts, exposure to high levels of manganese through drinking water can have adverse health effects, especially to infants.