Salem Discolored Water Reports Deemed 'Not A Danger' Amid Resident Complaints

SALEM, MA — Salem city officials are looking to ease concerns over reports of discolored water from residents in recent weeks.

The Salem-Beverly Water Supply Board in Beverly told city officials, relaying those resident concerns, that the issue is from an abundance of manganese in the water supply from the Ipswich River as well the Wenham Lake, Putnamville and Longham reservoirs, as well as "seasonal water chemistry conditions."

"They have assured us that this manganese, while visually noticeable, is not a danger," the city said on Wednesday.

Officials said the filtration plant works to balance complex water chemistry, while addressing the manganese in conjunction with any effect that would have on other regulatory limits in the supply.

A future upgrade project on the aging filtration system, which is about 45 years old, will allow for better management of manganese levels

"For now, operators are managing the issue through ongoing treatment adjustments to try to keep manganese levels below 0.05 mg/L," the city said.

More information on manganese in drinking water can be found here.

This week, specifically, the city also said it received reports of "abruptly and acutely discolored water," which may be related to a valve replacement project that impacts transmission mains at the intersection of North Street and Federal Street.

The valve work is expected to require a few more days and nights of activity that may continue to cause discolored water.

"The city recognizes how frustrating and inconvenient this can be for residents and businesses," city officials said. "The valve installation is expected to be completed by the end of this week, at which point water system hydraulics — direction and velocity — should return to their normal configuration.

"As conditions stabilize, discoloration is expected to gradually improve. Thank you in advance for your patience as this important water system improvement project is completed."

Residents who experience discolored water should run cold water for several minutes until it clears and avoid using hot water until the discoloration is completely gone.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)