Manganese in Louisiana well water
In Louisiana, manganese was detected in 99% of 745 tested private well samples.
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.
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.
Getting it fixed
Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company, or see the treatment guide for what removes manganese.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit; counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avoyelles | 32 | 100% | no limit | 1075 | 15,200 ug/L |
| Caddo | 37 | 100% | no limit | 381 | 12,000 ug/L |
| Calcasieu | 30 | 100% | no limit | 1413 | 4,360 ug/L |
| East Baton Rouge | 38 | 100% | no limit | 468 | 4,030 ug/L |
| Rapides | 36 | 100% | no limit | 148 | 2,200 ug/L |
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. manganese counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.