Harrison issues drinking water health advisory

A high level of manganese in the drinking water prompted the city of Harrison to issue a health advisory Sept. 15.

A town hall will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Harrison Senior Center, 103 Pine St., Harrison. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality compliance officer Jim Williamson will address the topic.

The target population for the health advisory is infants 6 months and younger, especially when formula is prepared using the affected water, the health advisory said.

According to information on the city's website, manganese is a naturally occurring element found in soil, water and air and is common in foods such as legumes, grains and leafy vegetables and in drinking water. Too much manganese can increase the risk of health problems, particularly for young infants whose bodies are developing. Infants exposed to manganese over 0.3mg/L may experience learning or behavioral problems.

"Notifying the public of the risk to public health posed by the elevated manganese is also a commonsense measure with the hope that all who have knowledge of the public health risk would share the information with those who may not," the city said in the advisory.

For details visit cityofharrisonid.com or call Williamson at 208-769-1422.