Some Callander residents may notice a yellowish discolouration in their tap water over the next few days, and the municipality wants to assure you it’s not dangerous and the water is safe to drink.
“Though it may be a nuisance, it is not harmful,” staff posted on the municipality's website earlier today.
There are higher levels of manganese in Callander Bay that “cannot be entirely filtered out by our water treatment processes.”
Plus, with the rain and the temperature swings, the lake has turned over some which raises sediment. The water processing plant has slowed down the processing to allow time for the sediment to settle.
See: Everything you wanted to know about Callander’s sewage lagoons
The manganese level has been tested at several locations to ensure the water is safe. Manganese is an essential nutrient found within the environment. People benefit from manganese in small amounts, but too much can lead to adverse health effects.
Health Canada has guidelines about manganese in drinking water, which can be found on the government's website, Canada.ca.
Callander’s staff are looking to prevent the problem from happening, upgrades to the water treatment plant are being considered. But all upgrades must be approved by municipal council during the budget planning process.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
