MANGANESE

Manganese levels of 0.05 mg/l can cause:

• Black stains in your dishwater and toilet bowl
• Brownish-red  stains in your fixtures, clothing, and plumbing
• Black tint to the water
• A musty odor and taste
• Although not as common as iron, when present, it usually co-exists with iron

• Call us to schedule a FREE manganese water test
• Or, bring a water sample to a state certified lab

There are 3 ways to remove manganese from your water:

• ProMate 6 Water Softener – for CT well waters, this works the best! And, since manganese often occurs with iron and hardness, the water softener will remove all three troublesome minerals at the same time.
• Birm System (manganese dioxide) – for low levels of manganese. However, to use Birm for manganese removal, you MUST have a high pH. Otherwise, two negative consequences will occur:  1. It won’t work and 2. The Birm material itself, which is made of manganese, will add MORE manganese to your water.
• Greensand (manganese greensand). This is our least favorite option. We no longer recommend it because it uses a purple staining chemical called potassium permanganate, which is rated a “slight physical hazard” and a “moderate health hazard”. For more information, visit this page on potassium permanganate for manganese.

Yes it is safe– manganese does not get absorbed through your skin and it does not get released into the air when you shower, so it does not increase your exposure.

Test your water annually

If you test positive for manganese:

• Follow the CT Dept of Health’s recommendation to treat manganese for aesthetic reasons at levels of 0.05 mg/l or greater and
• Treat manganese for health reasons above 0.5 mg/l.