Manganese in drinking water
A natural metal that stains fixtures brown/black above 50 ppb (EPA's secondary, non-enforced standard).
Health: EPA's lifetime health advisory is 300 ppb, and infants are most sensitive.
Across the US
Those 124 systems serve about 5.3 million people.
From EPA's earlier unregulated contaminant testing (UCMR 3 and 4). These results are older, so ask your utility for current data.
Highest results
| Water system | People | Highest result |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Water District | 14,328 | 3,960 ppb |
| Montara Water and Sanitary District | 6,088 | 3,550 ppb |
| Pierre Water System | 14,091 | 2,600 ppb |
| Randolph Water Department | 35,114 | 2,550 ppb |
| East Bangor Municipal Authority | 800 | 2,500 ppb |
| Regional Water Authority | 418,900 | 2,280 ppb |
| Kiryas Joel Water System | 51,623 | 2,020 ppb |
| City of Stanton | 1,577 | 1,810 ppb |
| Aquarion-Plainville Regional | 18,231 | 1,730 ppb |
| City of Grandview | 11,010 | 1,590 ppb |
| Swansea Water District | 17,375 | 1,490 ppb |
| Marysville Utilities | 88,582 | 1,403 ppb |
| Southwestern Water District | 5,363 | 1,400 ppb |
| Waterford Water/Sewer Association | 770 | 1,352 ppb |
| Grafton Water District | 10,925 | 1,350 ppb |
| Easton Water Division | 25,058 | 1,180 ppb |
| City of Poulsbo | 18,400 | 1,178 ppb |
| Bastrop Water System | 18,105 | 1,170 ppb |
| Double Springs, Town of Water & Sewer Board | 6,075 | 1,149 ppb |
| City of Cayce | 17,460 | 1,120 ppb |
| Bayleaf Master Water System | 16,715 | 1,120 ppb |
| Ventura Cwwd No. 19 – Somis Water System | 1,429 | 1,100 ppb |
| City of Sumter | 53,070 | 1,090 ppb |
| Acton Water Supply District | 21,285 | 1,090 ppb |
| Endicott Municipal Water Works | 45,000 | 1,026 ppb |
States with the most detections
- Texas: 467
- California: 439
- Illinois: 231
- Florida: 224
- Pennsylvania: 185
- Massachusetts: 174
- New Jersey: 174
- New York: 169
- North Carolina: 162
- Ohio: 152
- Alabama: 140
- Washington: 138
Sources
The limits, health goals and health effects on this page come from these EPA sources. The results come from EPA's monitoring data for each water system.
- EPA: UCMR occurrence data (the test results)
- EPA: National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (limits and health effects table)
This page summarizes public regulatory information. It is not medical advice. How we source and check this site.
Questions
What is the safe level of Manganese in drinking water?
There is no federal legal limit. EPA health advisory: 300 ppb.
How do I remove Manganese from tap water?
See the filter guidance on this page: look for a product certified for Manganese specifically, and check the claim in NSF's certified product listings.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.