High Levels of Manganese Detected in Nahanni Butte’s Drinking Water

Press Release

Nahanni Butte (July 16, 2024) – The Chief Environmental Health Officer advises all residents of Nahanni Butte that infants, children under five, and pregnant women should not drink the community’s tap water.

This advisory is a precaution due to high levels of manganese detected in the community’s drinking water. Long-term exposure of high levels of manganese can cause neurological effects in young children. This issue arose because of a failure in the old water treatment process.

A new filtration system has been installed, and manganese levels are expected to decrease in the coming months. The Chief Environmental Health Officer, along with the community government, will continue to monitor the situation and provide formal notice when lifting this Public Health advisory.

Recommendations:

Infants, children under five, and pregnant women should use bottled water for drinking, preparing baby formula, preparing food, and hot and cold beverages and ice cubes.
Adults and older children are at a lower risk but should still take precautions.
Everyone can use tap water for showering, bathing, and washing, but infants and children under five should avoid swallowing the water.

Safe Water Alternatives:

Use water processed by treatment devices certified by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) such as:

Reverse osmosis
Ion exchange/water softeners
Oxidizing filters

Note: Boiling will not make the water safe. It may increase manganese concentrations. “Brita” type drinking water filters with activated carbon will not remove manganese safely.

For information on manganese in drinking water, please see: