Pretty In Pink: Ohio Water Takes On Strange Tint

Ratepayers in Oregon, OH, are drinking water with a pinkish tint because water operators made a mistake during an algae-fighting effort.

“Operators accidentally put too much potassium permanganate in raw western Lake Erie water drawn in through Oregon’s intake crib while testing new equipment designed to help combat algae. Oregon recently installed feeders that allow it to put more potassium permanganate into its crib,” the Toledo Blade reported, noting that potassium permanganate “serves as a first line of defense against the algal toxin microcystin.”

Water officials say it is not dangerous despite the color, WTOL reported. City of Oregon Administrator Mike Beazley told the Blade: “It’s totally safe to drink, because the chemical is used to treat water.”

Residents can flush out the color by letting the water run for a bit, the Blade reported.

Doug Wagner, superintendent of Oregon’s water treatment plant, weighed in on the incident.

“[Potassium permanganate] carried through the plant into the clear well and into the distribution system. It takes very little to tint the water,” Wagner said, per the Blade. “We wanted to make sure we’re ready in case the algae does come.”

According to the U.S. EPA, water treatment applications for permanganate include controlling taste and odor, removing color, controlling biological growth, controlling zebra mussels in intake structures and pipelines, removing iron and manganese, and controlling the formation of trihalomethanes and other disinfection byproducts.

“At full-scale water treatment applications, potassium permanganate is most commonly added early in the treatment process at the raw water intake. Permanganate oxidation may be followed by conventional treatment or granular activated carbon (GAC), membrane filtration, and chlorine disinfection,” the EPA report said.

“Other possible points of application are at the rapid mix tank in conjunction with coagulants, or at clarifiers upstream of filters. In direct filtration plants, this oxidant is typically added at the raw water intake to increase the contact time upstream of the filter units. In all cases, potassium permanganate is added prior to filtration,” it continued.

To read more about algae fighting efforts visit Water Online’s Nutrient Removal Solutions Center.