WASHINGTON – Today, September 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1,000,000 in research grant funding to Cornwell Research Group in Newport News, Virginia, to evaluate the effectiveness of common manganese treatment technologies. This will provide states, Tribes and small utilities with an improved ability to adopt and implement these treatment technologies in small drinking water systems.

“The funding announced today will help our small drinking water systems meet public health requirements with fewer resources,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research will help identify and find treatment solutions that address unique challenges that small communities face when providing clean drinking water.”

Manganese, an essential element in the human diet, is naturally occurring in the environment and prevalent throughout the United States in groundwater and surface water. However, higher concentrations have been found to potentially lead to negative neurological health impacts in vulnerable populations. Small public water systems (serving 10,000 or fewer customers) frequently lack the resources and capacity to adopt and maintain manganese treatment systems. Supporting the development of affordable, efficient, and user-friendly manganese treatment technologies will better enable small, rural, and Tribal systems to address health concerns.

The research team at Cornwell Research Group will evaluate manganese treatment costs and performance of small water systems to determine the most appropriate treatment solutions for multiple site scenarios. Recommendations will be made available to stakeholders through site visits, workshops, webinars, and a website. This work is expected to help small utilities implement and maintain manganese treatment for their drinking water.

Learn more about the funded recipient and learn more about EPA research grants.