The City of Ramsey Utilities Department has been collecting and testing 15 water samples each month for manganese concentrations. Test results of the current two years are posted to this page. Older test results can be found in our archive center.

The MDH recommended health guidelines are:

• If you have an infant who drinks tap water or drinks formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 100 parts per billion (ppb) or less.
• If you have an infant who never drinks tap water or formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less.
• If everyone is more than one year old, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less.

Months with wells that tested over MDH Guidelines:

• July 2020 (PDF): 108 ppb and 131 ppb
• November 2020 (PDF): 160 ppb and 200 ppb
• May 2021  (PDF): 126 ppb, 201 ppb, and 234 ppb
• June 2021 (PDF): 101 ppb, 113 ppb, 143 ppb, and 297 ppb
• July 2021 (PDF): 152 ppb
• August 2021 (PDF): 101 ppb
• September 2021 (PDF): 122 ppb and 144 ppb
• November 2021 (PDF): 100 ppb
• April 2022 (PDF): 102 ppb, 136 ppb, 138 ppb, and 234 ppb 
• July 2022 (PDF): 100 ppb 
• August 2022 (PDF): 101 ppb, 106 ppb, 108 ppb, 116 ppb, 124 ppb, and 165 ppb
• September 2022 (PDF): 105 ppb, 112 ppb and 114 ppb

The City continues to utilize only City wells with the lowest concentration of manganese. Timely rains have helped lower daily demands for water and our odd/even sprinkling ban also contributes to lower demand. The City plans to test its water for manganese monthly to monitor the levels and create a long-term plan moving forward.

Please note that manganese can also be present in private well systems and residents are encouraged to have their wells tested annually.

The City’s municipal water system serves approximately 5,600 households. The remaining homes in the City are served by private wells. If you have your own well, you are responsible for having it tested for safety.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) regularly tests the City’s municipal water supply. Fortunately, the most recent test results show that the municipal water supply meets all Safe Drinking Water Act standards; however, some of the City’s municipal drinking water wells have manganese levels above MDH’s recommended health guidelines. Due to the possibility that City municipal water may be above MDH’s health guidelines for manganese, MDH recommends considering home water treatment or bottled water for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula if you or your family consume City municipal water.

Health Guidelines for Manganese:

Manganese is a naturally occurring element found in rocks and soil and is usually present in Minnesota ground and surface water. Your body needs some manganese to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful. Learn more on the MDH webpage Manganese in Drinking Water.

Recent scientific studies of manganese exposure have prompted the MDH to create new guidance values for water consumption. Due to the possibility that water may exceed MDH safe consumption guidelines, MDH recommends considering home water treatment or bottled water for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula if you choose to consume City municipal water.