Water testing of Battle Creek at 50 area homes is expected to be done as early as today (Friday) as the City of Battle Creek and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) check for manganese in city drinking water.

Battle Creek City Manager Rebecca Fleury was a guest on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins on Friday morning.   She said lab analysis of the samples will be expedited, as official try to determine if manganese levels are a concern.  High levels of the naturally occurring chemical element, similar to iron.  The city says that infants under the age of one year old should not consume city water until further notice.

Calhoun County Public Health Department Officer Eric Pessell also appeared on the show, and reminded listeners that this is NOT a boil-water situation.  Pessell says that only concentrates the levels of manganese in the boiled water.

The high levels were found in water from two fire hydrants in Springfield and Battle Creek.  Water tested from the Verona Wellfield, where all of the city’s water comes from, showed no manganese levels.

City Manager Fleury says the manganese could have been a result of the recent hydrant flushing campaign the city has undertaken.   She said the city may need to re-think the way they flush the hydrants, depending on the outcome of further analysis.

 

 

 

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