- Home
- Departments
- Public Works
- Water or Sewer Concerns
- Public Water Advisory
Public Water Advisory
The following is a consumption advisory regarding the municipal water supply. This notice affects approximately 5,000 households and businesses that currently use the municipal water supply. In addition, the nearly 1,500 properties with private wells may be affected.
The City is dedicated to providing clean and safe drinking water to residents. Testing by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows the City's municipal water supply continues to meet all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
MDH conducted additional testing in 2019 as part of a study of unregulated contaminants. This testing showed that some of our wells have manganese levels above MDH's recommended health guidelines.
- Reducing Water Demands - Your Help is Needed!
- The Issue: Manganese
- City Solution
- Recommended Actions
- Most Recent Manganese Readings
The City has been keeping the level of manganese in the water supply low by only running wells that produce water with the lowest manganese levels. Warmer outdoor temperatures usually correlate to the increasing demand for water, primarily lawn watering. Consequently, other wells will soon be needed to meet the higher water demands. Manganese levels will likely be higher when these additional wells are operating.
Many lawns only require 1" of water per week. Current watering restrictions include odd/even watering and no watering between 10 am - 6 pm daily. Everyone connected to the municipal water supply is strongly encouraged to minimize the frequency and duration of watering lawns. This will hopefully reduce the need to utilize wells with higher manganese levels.
The City is currently offering Rachio smart irrigation controllers at a discounted price. These controllers can reduce water use for irrigation by up to 50%. For more information visit: Smart Irrigation Controller Program.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Date | Readings (PPB) |
---|---|
09/25/2023 | 113 |
09/22/2023 | 187 |
09/21/2023 | 407 |
09/20/2023 | 395 |
09/19/2023 | 252 |
Informational Meeting Recap
January 22, 2020
The Mayor and City Council hosted an informational meeting on January 22. If you have additional questions, please email or call 651-982-2440
From the City of Lino Lakes
- Lino Lakes 2022 Water Quality Report (PDF)
- City of Lino Lakes Letter to Residents (PDF)
- Feasibility Study (PDF)
- January 6, 2020 City Council Staff Report (PDF)
- Well and Water Tower Location Map (PDF)
- What is Manganese - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- Lino Lakes Smart Irrigation Controller Application 2023 (PDF)
-
Public Works
Physical Address
1189 Main Street
Lino Lakes, MN 55014
Phone: 651-982-2440Fax: 651-982-2499