2016 Shoal Lake water quality test results

Our staff test Shoal Lake and the intake at the west end of Indian Bay (where the water enters the aqueduct) as part of our routine water quality testing program.

For more information on Winnipeg's drinking water and our impact on Shoal Lake, visit the web page on Shoal Lake - Our Water Source.

Testing

We take samples at the intake every week during the open water season and every two weeks during the rest of the year. We also take samples from the Shoal Lake watershed from May to October. We test the intake samples for:

• routine water chemistry
• metals
• disinfection by-products
• bacteria and protozoa
• pesticides, herbicides and PCBs

By taking these samples, we track seasonal changes in water quality and determine the effects (if any) of human activity within the Shoal Lake watershed.

Water entering the aqueduct intake passes through screens before being treated by chlorine on a periodic basis for slime and Zebra mussel control. The aqueduct brings water to Deacon Reservoir before entering the Water Treatment Plant. There, we test both the raw and treated water before the water is distributed to Winnipeg homes and businesses.

Test results are from January 1 to December 31, 2016

What is being measured	How it's measured	Guideline or regulation	Shoal Lake average	Shoal Lake range	Comments
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic	parts per million	no guideline	10.2	8.1 to 13.4	-
Carbon, Total Organic	parts per million	no guideline	10.9	8.3 to 14.4	-
Chlorophyll-a	parts per billion	no guideline	5	2 to 11	Chlorophyll is found in algae
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	6	1 to 13	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Conductivity	microsiemens per centimetre	no guideline	154	145 to 168	Another measure of dissolved solids
Odour	units	inoffensive	114	75 to 200	Raw water - guideline does not apply
pH	units	between 6.5 and 8.5	8.20	7.04 to 8.91	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Plankton (algae) count	cells/mL	no guideline	44,425	700 to 208,900	Algae contribute to odours and may cause filter clogging
Solids, Total	parts per million	no guideline	113	99 to 138	-
Solids, Total Dissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	99	88 to 113	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	10.3	1.1 to 22.5	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Turbidity (clearness)	NTU	no guideline	1.26	0.32 to 4.64	-
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	71	66 to 81	-
Hardness, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	75	70 to 84	-
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	1.8	1.5 to 2.1	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Fluoride	parts per million	no more than 1.5	0.11	0.08 to 0.14	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Nitrate Nitrogen	parts per million	no more than 10	0.008	<0.003 to 0.016	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Perchlorate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.2	<0.2 to <0.2	-
Phosphorus, Dissolved Reactive	parts per billion	no guideline	3	<1 to <10	-
Phosphorus, Total	parts per billion	no guideline	19.0	6.0 to 37.4	Phosphorus can contribute to algae growth
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	<2	<2 to <2	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)	parts per million	no guideline	0.8	0.4 to 2.9	TKN is a combination of ammonia and organic nitrogen
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli	MPN per 100 mL	no guideline	<1	<1 to 1	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Total Coliforms	MPN per 100 mL	no guideline	87	<1 to >200	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Heterotrophic Plate Count	CFU per mL	no guideline	145	6 to >300	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Enteric Protozoa
Cryptosporidium	oocysts per 100 L	no guideline	<0.9	<0.9 to <2.0	12 samples taken in 2016
Giardia	cysts per 100 L	no guideline	<0.9	<0.9 to <2.0	12 samples taken in 2016
Disinfection By-Products
Aldehydes	parts per billion	no guideline	3.6	<0.5 to 7.0	-
Bromodichloromethane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.4	<0.4 to 1.0	-
Haloacetic acids	parts per billion	no more than 80	<3	<3 to <3	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	1.5	<0.9 to 4.0	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Total Metals
Aluminum	parts per million	no guideline	0.0081	0.0017 to 0.0432	-
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	<0.0005	<0.0005 to <0.0005	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	0.0010	0.0007 to 0.0012	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	0.0187	0.0074 to 0.0509	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.005	<0.0004	<0.0004 to <0.0004	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	19.7	17.1 to 22.4	Contributes to hardness
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	<0.0007	<0.0007 to 0.0009	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Chromium VI	parts per billion	no guideline	2	<1 to <10	-
Copper	parts per million	no more than 1.0 *	0.0005	<0.0003 to 0.0010	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.3 *	0.024	<0.008 to 0.064	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.010	<0.0004	<0.0004 to 0.0005	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	5.81	5.16 to 6.83	Contributes to hardness
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.05 *	0.0126	0.0024 to 0.0486	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Mercury	parts per trillion	no more than 1000	0.6	<0.5 to 0.9	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	0.0007	0.0003 to 0.0018	-
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	1.18	1.05 to 1.37	-
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	2.05	1.59 to 2.48	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	<0.0005	<0.0005 to <0.0005	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	0.0020	<0.0005 to 0.0061	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Zirconium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.0005	<0.0005 to 0.0005	-
Pesticides
Alachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	-
Aldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	-
alpha-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
alpha-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
alpha-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Atrazine	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Azinphosmethyl	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
beta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
beta-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020	-
Carbofuran	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Chlorpyrifos	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
delta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Diazinon	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Diclofop-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 9	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Dieldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Dimethoate	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Endrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Eptam	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	-
gamma-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Heptachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Heptachlor Epoxide	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Lindane (gamma-BHC)	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Malathion	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Methoxychlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Methyl Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	-
Metribuzin	parts per billion	no more than 80	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Mirex	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
o,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
o,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
o,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
p,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
p,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
p,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010	-
Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	-
Propachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	-
Propanil	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	-
Propoxur	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	-
Simazine	parts per billion	no more than 10	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Terbufos	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Triallate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10	-
Trichlopyr	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
Trifluralin	parts per billion	no more than 45	<0.030	<0.030 to <0.030	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Arochlor 1016	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1221	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1232	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1242	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1248	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1254	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Arochlor 1260	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	-
Phenoxy Acid Herbicides
2,4,5-T	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
2,4,5-TP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
2,4-D	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	Raw water - guideline does not apply
2,4-DB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
2,4-DP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
Bromoxynil	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.020	<0.020 to <0.020	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Dicamba	parts per billion	no more than 120	<0.0060	<0.0060 to <0.0070	Raw water - guideline does not apply
Dinoseb	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
MCPA	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.025	<0.025 to <0.025	Raw water - guideline does not apply
MCPB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
Mecoprop	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050	-
Picloram	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20	Raw water - guideline does not apply

Note: Pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and Phenoxy Acid Herbicides are only analysed from May to October.

Note: Where value is expressed as less than (<), the value is halved and used in the calculations, where value is expressed as (>), the value is used in the calculations.

* Aesthetic objective: These guidelines have an objective and not a maximum acceptable limit. These parameters should not impact the safety of the water to drink and there is no anticipated health risk for short-term exposures.

Guidelines from ‘Summary of Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality' by Health Canada, October 2014