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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

2021 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, 2021

What is being measured How it's measured Shoal Lake average Shoal Lake range
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic parts per million 9.2 7.4 to 11.7
Carbon, Total Organic parts per million 8.8 6.7 to 10.9
Chlorophyll-a parts per billion 5.2 1.3 to 14.7
Colour, Apparent TCU 12.8 9.0 to 22.0
Colour, True TCU 6.8 2.0 to 9.0
Conductivity microsiemens per centimetre 157 149 to 173
Odour units 96 75 to 150
pH units 8.02 7.31 to 8.64
Plankton (algae) count cells/mL 4,784 344 to 17,790
Solids, Total parts per million 100 82 to 114
Solids, Total Dissolved parts per million 79 56 to 99
Temperature degrees Celcius 10.8 1.9 to 22.9
Turbidity (clearness) NTU 0.90 0.25 to 2.80
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 76.6 72.2 to 89.4
Hardness, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 77.4 73.4 to 84.7
Chloride parts per million 2.2 1.8 to 2.5
Fluoride parts per million 0.08 0.08 to 0.09
Nitrate Nitrogen parts per million 0.080 <0.003 to 0.363
Perchlorate parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Phosphorus, Total Reactive parts per million 0.0035 0.0013 to 0.0165
Phosphorus, Total parts per million 0.0150 0.0096 to 0.0259
Sulphate parts per million <0.4 <0.4 to 0.6
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) parts per million 0.55 0.44 to 0.70
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli MPN per 100 mL 2 0 to 25
Total Coliforms MPN per 100 mL 95 0 to >200
Disinfection By-Products
Aldehydes parts per billion 8.7 3.1 to 11.7
Haloacetic acids parts per billion <1.2 <1.2 to 1.4
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
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-BHC parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
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 <0.010
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
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 <0.10
Chlorpyrifos parts per billion <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
delta-BHC parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
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 <0.010
Dimethoate parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Endrin parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Eptam parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
gamma-Chlordane parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Heptachlor parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Heptachlor Epoxide parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Lindane (gamma-BHC) parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Malathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.020
Methyl Parathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Metribuzin parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Mirex parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDD parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDE parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDT parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDD parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDE parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDT parts per billion <0.010 <0.010 to <0.020
Parathion parts per billion <0.0130 <0.0130 to <0.0130
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 <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
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 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4,5-TP parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4-D parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4-DB parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
2,4-DP parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Bromoxynil parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Dicamba parts per billion <0.0060 <0.0060 to <0.0200
Dinoseb parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
MCPA parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
MCPB parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
Mecoprop parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Picloram parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Total Metals
Aluminum parts per million 0.00702 0.00098 to 0.02995
Antimony parts per million 0.000040 <0.000025 to 0.000191
Arsenic parts per million 0.000812 0.00506 to 0.001185
Boron parts per million 0.00391 <0.00208 to 0.00712
Cadmium parts per million <0.000007 <0.000007 to <0.000007
Calcium parts per million 19.938 18.707 to 23.946
Chromium parts per million <0.00004 <0.00004 to 0.00009
Chromium VI parts per million <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
Copper parts per million 0.001420 0.000220 to 0.002452
Iron parts per million 0.03817 0.01190 to 0.12288
Lead parts per million <0.000065 <0.000065 to 0.000158
Magnesium parts per million 5.970 5.252 to 6.899
Manganese parts per million 0.01095 0.00335 to 0.02718
Mercury parts per billion <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
Nickel parts per million 0.000162 0.000051 to 0.000334
Potassium parts per million 1.210 1.070 to 1.449
Sodium parts per million 2.276 2.060 to 2.650
Uranium parts per million <0.000032 <0.000032 to 0.000039
Zinc parts per million 0.0084 <0.00011 to 0.00219

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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