The City of Williams Lake has issued a Water Quality Advisory about the levels of manganese in its drinking water.
Officials say the drinking water hasn’t changed, but the guidelines from the federal government have.
In May of this year, Health Canada established a new maximum acceptable concentration for manganese in drinking water of 0.12 mg/litre.
Test results show that the City’s five water wells have between 0.13 to 0.25 mg/litre of manganese depending on which wells are pumping and for how long.
While a small amount of manganese is essential for human health, new research has shown that too much can be a health risk for infants and young children.
The City of Williams Lake recommends people use bottled water for preparing baby formula for infants and food or drinks for young children.
The City says it has started upgrading its water infrastructure and will be applying for grants to help offset the cost of the needed treatment plant.
Officials say the City hopes to meet the new guidelines in the near future.
More information about manganese can be found at Health Canada and the B.C. health ministry.
