The Village of Danvers has been under a “Do Not Drink” order for infants following the discovery of high levels of manganese in the local water supply. Residents have been notified that the water in their taps is unsafe for infants, as manganese is known to cause damage to the nervous system, especially if exposure is prolonged. According to the notice released by The Village of Danvers, “infants under 6 months old should not consume formula or food prepared with tap water. Use bottled water or alternative sources of water for infants.” The notice goes on to tell residents that they cannot boil their water, as manganese does not dissipate with boiling. In fact, boiling water can cause the concentration of manganese to increase.Village officials expect the issue to be corrected within 60 days, per the notice. A Board of Trustees meeting was set for Wednesday, January 6 to address the issue, however, it was canceled due to illness. According to the EPA Violation Detail, officials from the Village of Danvers were notified on November 24, 2021, yet the public was not notified until December 22, 2021. The Mail has attempted to contact Village Officials regarding this matter, however, at the time of writing there has been no response.

While there is no current federal enforceable maximum contaminant level for manganese in public drinking water, the EPA has established National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations that are used as guidelines to assist water systems with managing drinking water for aesthetic purposes. Water treatment options that have been shown to be capable of reducing the levels of manganese from drinking water in your home include cation exchange water softening, distillation, filtration, and reverse osmosis. However, many citizens do not have those methods immediately available, so store bought bottled water is highly recommended. 

According to the Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois residents use 21 billion gallons of water on a daily basis, with much of that being consumed in the northern part of the state. 20 billion gallons comes from surface water, while the other billion comes from groundwater.