The Weirton Area Water Board advises that some customers may be experiencing discolored water. This discoloration is caused by Manganese in the raw water supply. As part of the WAWB’s Water Treatment Plant Upgrades, the media in the current filters was removed and replaced with brand new media. The new media must go through a “Ripening Period,” which allows for enhanced removal of Manganese. During this “Ripening Period,” we have made adjustments to our treatment process in order to mitigate this issue in the best way possible.
The EPA has established National Secondary Drinking Water Standards that set non-mandatory water quality standards. Manganese falls under this standard. According to the EPA if Manganese is present in your water at levels above these standards, it may cause the water to appear cloudy or discolored. Although the current level of manganese in the water is above this standard (0.05mg/l), it poses no health risks to the public.
We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes to the treatment process as needed.
We appreciate your patience as we work through this situation and apologize for the inconvenience that has resulted.
