Public Water Advisory

Manganese is a naturally occurring element found in rocks and soil and is often found in Minnesota ground and surface water. Your body needs some manganese to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful. Learn more by visiting the MDH webpage and searching for Manganese in Drinking Water.

Manganese is unregulated and does not have an enforceable standard. However, the MDH recommended health guidelines are:

1. If you have an infant who drinks tap water or drinks formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 100 parts per billion (ppb) or less.
2. If you have an infant who never drinks tap water or formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less.
3. If everyone is more than one year old, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less.

The City requested testing from MDH to better understand manganese levels for all City wells. Below are the results from the December 31, 2019 testing (For the most recent water testing results see Manganese Testing in City Water Supply (PDF)).

• Well Number 1 158 ppb
• Well Number 2 527 ppb
• Well Number 3 322 ppb
• Well Number 4 84 ppb
• Well Number 5 143 ppb
• Well Number 6 408 ppb

The City's municipal water supply is a mixture of water from all six wells. The water mixes in water mains and towers and then travels to customers' taps. The City cannot know the level of manganese at any given drinking water tap.

The City of Lino Lakes is working with engineering consultants and MDH professionals on short-, mid-, and long-term plans to reduce the manganese levels in the City's municipal drinking water. The City has already taken steps to reduce the manganese levels in the water supply by limiting the use of wells with high manganese levels.

While this practice has lowered the manganese levels to below 300 ppb, a level that is safe for adult and child consumption, MDH recommends using bottled or treated water for formula-fed infants under the age of 12 months.

During the summer months, the demand for water will increase, resulting in the need to use water from additional wells. This will likely increase manganese levels, and at that time all residents may want to take action to protect their health. 

Mid- and long-term solutions are being evaluated to permanently reduce the levels of manganese in drinking water. These options include:

• Modifying the existing watering ban ordinance
• Utilizing water from neighboring municipal water systems
• Drilling new wells
• Constructing a water treatment plant

There are several things you can do to filter manganese out of your drinking water. Certain types of home water treatment units remove or reduce manganese (refrigerator water filter, pour-through pitchers, units that attach to faucet, water softeners, etc.). Water treatment units must be maintained to work properly. Visit the Minnesota Department of Health's website and search Home Water Treatment for details.

If you do not have a home water treatment device that removes or reduces manganese, you may want to consider installing one or using bottled water for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula.

Private Well Owners

Some Minnesota groundwater naturally has levels of manganese higher than the MDH guidance values. Homeowners with private wells are responsible for having their wells tested. Learn more on the Minnesota Department of Health's website and search Owner's Guide to Wells. The Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services (ACPHES) Department accepts water samples. Free test kits are available at Lino Lakes City Hall; however, ACPHES will charge a lab fee at the time of processing. For additional information, contact ACPHES at 763-324-4260.