Manganese in well water
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private wells tested in Perquimans County, North Carolina had manganese above the limit, the highest share of any county, according to NCWELL private well summaries.
Manganese stains fixtures and laundry above 50 ug/L. EPA's health advisory is 300 ug/L; infants are the most sensitive, and newer research links elevated manganese to neurological effects in children. It is one of the most common private well problems in New England.
- Health guideline
- 300 ug/L
- Nuisance level
- 50 ug/L
- North Carolina level
- 50 ug/L
- CAS number
- 7439-96-5
Check your manganese number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your own well for manganese
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove manganese
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For manganese
Iron and manganese oxidizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,800
Air-injection or greensand media; fixes staining at the source.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where manganese is worst, by homeowner tests
Counties ranked by the share of private wells above the state guidance level in tests homeowners sent to the state lab. Shares combine town summaries, weighted by wells tested.
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perquimans County, North Carolina | 52 | 1,470 ug/L | |
| Camden County, North Carolina | 92 | 490 ug/L | |
| Currituck County, North Carolina | 1,130 | 1,700 ug/L | |
| Chowan County, North Carolina | 47 | 360 ug/L | |
| Wilson County, North Carolina | 465 | 2,000 ug/L | |
| Indiana County, Pennsylvania | 50 | 3,300 ug/L | |
| Somerset County, Pennsylvania | 40 | 890 ug/L | |
| Cape May County, New Jersey | 7,348 | ||
| Pasquotank County, North Carolina | 54 | 850 ug/L | |
| McKean County, Pennsylvania | 115 | 2,410 ug/L | |
| Dare County, North Carolina | 462 | 900 ug/L | |
| Alexander County, North Carolina | 272 | 910 ug/L | |
| Lee County, North Carolina | 278 | 1,300 ug/L | |
| Warren County, Pennsylvania | 116 | 8130 ug/L | |
| Harnett County, North Carolina | 368 | 4,400 ug/L |
By individual samples
Counties with at least 30 individual samples in public monitoring data, against the EPA limit.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitt County, North Carolina | no limit | 107 | 100% | 10 ug/L |
| Robeson County, North Carolina | no limit | 34 | 100% | 0 ug/L |
| Sampson County, North Carolina | no limit | 75 | 100% | 30 ug/L |
| Onslow County, North Carolina | no limit | 57 | 100% | 20 ug/L |
| Camden County, North Carolina | no limit | 43 | 100% | 4.66 ug/L |
| Buncombe County, North Carolina | no limit | 38 | 100% | 7.92 ug/L |
| Dare County, North Carolina | no limit | 32 | 100% | 30 ug/L |
| Walworth County, Wisconsin | no limit | 165 | 100% | 30 ug/L |
| New Hanover County, North Carolina | no limit | 170 | 100% | 14.2 ug/L |
| Edgecombe County, North Carolina | no limit | 65 | 100% | 44 ug/L |
| Jefferson County, Louisiana | no limit | 52 | 100% | 20 ug/L |
| Kewaunee County, Wisconsin | no limit | 35 | 100% | 30 ug/L |
| Door County, Wisconsin | no limit | 54 | 100% | 30 ug/L |
| Buffalo County, Wisconsin | no limit | 31 | 100% | 40 ug/L |
| Wake County, North Carolina | no limit | 99 | 100% | 41 ug/L |
How to test
Use a state-certified lab and a proper sampling bottle; hardware-store strips cannot measure manganese at the levels that matter. Collect from the kitchen tap before any treatment, and again after treatment if you install it.
How to treat
- Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house
- Water softener (low levels)
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis