The City of Bagley’s water supply has tested for elevated levels of manganese and state officials are urging consumers to use an alternative source of water.

Water tested by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources resulted in 1.4 milligram per liter of manganese, which is higher than the recommended amount allowed by the US Environmental Protection Agency of 0.3-mg/L and 1.0-mg/L. The City has issued a public notice and DNR officials suggest all consumers that use the City’s water supply to use bottled water or an alternative source of water for making formula for infants, drinking or for food preparation.

Currently the City’s public water supply system doesn’t have a treatment system for manganese. The DNR has approved a preliminary engineering report that was submitted by the City to build a new treatment plant. The DNR is working on a monitoring plan to identify public water supply systems across the state that may have levels of manganese in the drinking water that exceed the EPA’s health advisory levels.