A letter from Santee Cooper, (supplier of the Town of Bowman water)

I apologize for any issues the recent color in the water is causing, the issues continues to stem from the wetwell on the plant site. We are using chemicals to mitigate the issue as much as possible and continue to work with the Army Corps of Engineers on a permanent solution to bypass the wetwell altogether.

We have confirmed the color is due to the presence on Manganese (Mn). While the aesthetic and cosmetic effects of manganese are not desirable, according to the EPA there are no known health issues with these levels of manganese. The EPA has established National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs) that set non-mandatory water quality standards for 15 contaminants, including Mn. EPA does not enforce these "secondary maximum contaminant levels" (SMCLs). They are established as guidelines to assist public water systems in managing their drinking water for aesthetic considerations, such as taste, color, and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health at the SMCL.

The EPA also states that Manganese is a naturally-occurring element that can be found ubiquitously in the air, soil, and water. Manganese is an essential nutrient for humans and animals. The greatest exposure to manganese is usually from food. Manganese intake from drinking water is normally substantially lower than intake from food.

We will to work with you to flush the distribution system as long as you need, the levels at the plant have returned to normal  so the color should be a short lived issue.

Sincerely,

Brian Lynch 
Santee Cooper

**To our customers who are experiencing this problem, please contact the Bowman Town Hall at 803.829.2666 so that we can do additional flushing near your property.