Well 3 in Blue Mountain Lakes has High Levels of Total Manganese
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR
DRINKING WATER - THIS WARNING APPLIES TO INFANTS YOUNGER THAN 6 MONTHS - DO NOT DRINK THE WATER
NO BEBA EL AGUA - ESTE INFORME CONTIENE INFORMACIÓN IMPORTANTE ACERCA DE SU AGUA POTABLE. HAGA QUE ALGUIEN LO TRADUZCA PARA USTED, O HABLE CON ALGUIEN QUE LO ENTIENDA.
Well 3 in Blue Mountain Lakes has high levels of total manganese.
Sample results received on May 15th, 2024, for Blue Mountain Lakes Well 3 effluent water showed elevated levels of total manganese. The total manganese level found was 0.5 mg/L. According to EPA, consuming water that contains a contaminant above this health advisory level may be a serious health concern. However, it is advised that for infants younger than 6 months, the lifetime HA of 0.3 mg/L be used even for an acute exposure of 10 days, because of the concerns for differences in manganese content in human milk and formula and the possibility of a higher absorption and lower excretion in young infants.
Infant formula typically contains a much higher concentration of manganese than human or cows’ milk. Powdered formula reconstituted with drinking water represents an additional source of manganese intake for a potentially sensitive population. Groups possibly sensitive to manganese would be those who absorb greater amounts of manganese or those who excrete less. These would include the very young (who may absorb more and excrete less), the elderly, and those with liver disease (with impaired biliary excretion). EPA’s Lifetime Health Advisory is based on exposure of a 150-pound adult drinking one-half gallon of water a day. Although manganese is an essential nutrient at low doses, chronic exposure to high doses may be harmful. Manganese intake from drinking water is normally substantially lower than intake from food.
The health effects from over-exposure of manganese are dependent on the route of exposure, the chemical form, the age at exposure, and an individual’s nutritional status. The nervous system has been determined to be the primary target organ with neurological effects generally observed. Many of the reports of adverse effects from manganese exposures in humans are from inhalation exposures in occupational settings.
What should I do as a parent for my child 6 months old or younger?
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. Use bottled water or alternative sources for drinking, cooking, food preparation, and bottle and/or dish washing until further notice. This is particularly of importance for infants 6 months old or younger. Throw away ice cubes if made with tap water.
DO NOT BOIL THE WATER. Boiling, freezing, filtering, or letting water stand does not reduce the total manganese level. Excessive boiling can make the total manganese more concentrated because total manganese remains behind when the water evaporates. This should be kept in mind with any bottle preparation or breast pump maintenance for infants 6 months old or younger.
If you have specific health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor.
What happened? What is being done?
Elevated total manganese concentrations were found in Well 3 during monitoring completed in May 2024 as discussed above.
On May 15th, following receipt of the results, Well 3 was taken out of service until our Code Red Alert system could be activated to notify customers and an alternative water supply as noted below was in place.
In order to maintain reliable service, Well 3 will continue to be used as needed. An alternate source of drinking water will be provided as outlined below.
UPDATE
Until this issue is resolved, Pennsylvania American Water is providing an alternative water supply location for customers. Water is now available at a water tanker located at 3190 Blue Mountain Lake Drive, East Stroudsburg PA (The mailbox area). The source of this water is from PA American Water’s Scranton Public Water supply system (PWSID 2359008) system. The manganese concentration from this system and respective water tanker is well below the EPA advisory limit of 0.3 mg/L. Customers are asked to bring their own containers when visiting the tanker for water.
Pennsylvania American Water is working with the Department of Environmental Protection on addressing this issue long term. Our Engineering Department is developing a manganese removal system to reduce the level of total manganese leaving the Well 3 treatment facility. Once design and permits are approved, PA American will begin construction of the manganese removal facility.
For more information, contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 800-565-7292.
Please share this information with other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, rentals etc.). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.