After heavy June rains, a buildup of manganese is discoloring a Louisiana city's water supply

Unusually high concentrations of the mineral manganese have built up in a northwest Louisiana city's water supply. The manganese isn't considered a health hazard. But the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate reports that the mineral has been discoloring the city's water supply for weeks. The most recent cleaning efforts included scraping the tanks where impurities settle out of the drinking water during treatment. The unusually high concentration of manganese coming from the city's water source, Cross Lake, created sludge piles on the tank bottoms. The manganese buildup happened after thunderstorms dumped large amounts of rain over the region in early June.