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City services in the event of a Canada Post work stoppage

City services in the event of a Canada Post work stoppage

Water and Waste Department

2019 Shoal Lake water quality test results

Image of Shoal Lake inletOur 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, 2019

What is being measured How it's measured Shoal Lake average Shoal Lake range
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic parts per million 8.6 6.7 to 11.3
Carbon, Total Organic parts per million 8.4 5.5 to 10.7
Chlorophyll-a parts per billion 4.1 1.0 to 8.5
Colour, True TCU 11.0 10 to 15
Conductivity microsiemens per centimetre 156 141 to 185
Odour units 85 75 to 150
pH units 8.10 7.72 to 8.66
Plankton (algae) count cells/mL 5,988 86 to 16,590
Solids, Total parts per million 97 71 to 129
Solids, Total Dissolved parts per million 78 56 to 98
Solids, Total Suspended parts per million <3 <3 to 3
Temperature degrees Celcius 11.1 1.0 to 24.0
Turbidity (clearness) NTU 0.86 0.14 to 2.23
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 74.2 68.5 to 87.0
Hardness, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 76.7 70.6 to 84.6
Chloride parts per million 1.5 <0.4 to 2.3
Fluoride parts per million 0.08 0.06 to 0.11
Nitrate Nitrogen parts per million 0.093 <0.003 to 0.300
Perchlorate parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Phosphorus, Total Reactive parts per million 0.0030 <0.0010 to 0.0062
Phosphorus, Total parts per million 0.0260 0.0071 to 0.0920
Sulphate parts per million 0.8 <0.4 to 2.0
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) parts per million 0.494 0.340 to 0.680
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli MPN per 100 mL 0 0 to 2
Total Coliforms MPN per 100 mL 76 0 to >200
Disinfection By-Products
Aldehydes parts per billion 3.4 <0.5 to 9.2
Bromodichloromethane parts per billion <0.4 <0.4 to <0.4
Haloacetic acids parts per billion <1.1 <1.1 to 3.2
Trihalomethanes parts per billion <2.7 <2.7 to <2.7
Enteric Protozoa
Cryptosporidium oocysts per 100 L 0 0 to 0
Giardia cysts per 100 L 0 0 to 0
Total Metals
Aluminum parts per million 0.00499 0.00134 to 0.01499
Antimony parts per million <0.000025 <0.000025 to 0.000066
Arsenic parts per million 0.001437 0.000578 to 0.008690
Cadmium parts per million <0.000007 <0.000007 to <0.000007
Calcium parts per million 21.011 17.651 to 24.266
Chromium parts per million 0.00004 <0.00004 to 0.00020
Chromium VI parts per million <0.010 <0.00050 to <0.010
Copper parts per million 0.000944 0.000419 to 0.001824
Iron parts per million 0.03156 0.00654 to 0.08650
Lead parts per million <0.000065 <0.000065 to <0.000065
Magnesium parts per million 6.321 5.066 to 7.318
Manganese parts per million 0.01262 0.00218 to 0.05007
Mercury parts per billion <0.50 <0.00050 to <0.50
Nickel parts per million 0.000108 <0.000021 to 0.000216
Potassium parts per million 1.268 0.959 to 1.510
Sodium parts per million 2.349 1.855 to 2.781
Uranium parts per million <0.000032 <0.000032 to <0.000032
Zinc parts per million 0.00115 0.00014 to 0.00373
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
alpha-BHC parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Atrazine parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Azinphos-methyl parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
beta-BHC parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Carbaryl parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Carbofuran parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Chlorothalonil parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
Chlorpyrifos parts per billion <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
delta-BHC parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Diazinon parts per billion <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
Diclofop-methyl parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Dieldrin parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Dimethoate parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Endrin parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Eptam parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
gamma-Chlordane parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Heptachlor parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Heptachlor Epoxide parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Lindane (gamma-BHC) parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
Malathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Methyl Parathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.20
Metribuzin parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Mirex parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
o,p-DDD parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
o,p-DDE parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
o,p-DDT parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.10
p,p-DDD parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
p,p-DDE parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.050
p,p-DDT parts per billion <0.10 <0.010 to <0.10
Parathion parts per billion <0.013 <0.013 to <0.013
Propaclor parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Propanil parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Propoxur parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Simazine parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Terbufos parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Triallate parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Trichlopyr parts per billion <50 <0.10 to <50
Trifluralin parts per billion <0.030 <0.030 to <0.030
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Arochlor 1016 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1221 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1232 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1242 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1248 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1254 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Arochlor 1260 parts per billion <0.020 <0.020 to <0.020
Phenoxy Acid Herbicides
2,4,5-T parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
2,4,5-TP parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
2,4-D parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
2,4-DB parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
2,4-DP parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Bromoxynil parts per billion <0.50 <0.020 to <0.50
Dicamba parts per billion 0.016 <0.0060 to 0.084
Dinoseb parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
MCPA parts per billion <0.50 <0.025 to <0.50
MCPB parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
Mecoprop parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Picloram parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.50

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.

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality do not apply to Shoal Lake

Last updated: April 15, 2024

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