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Remembrance Day – Monday, November 11. View holiday hours for City of Winnipeg facilities and services.

2023 Water Treatment Plant raw water quality test results

Image of Deacon ReservoirThe aqueduct carries raw water from Shoal Lake to Deacon Reservoir. Deacon Reservoir is a storage reservoir located just east of Winnipeg. There are four open cells at Deacon, which together hold 8.8 billion litres, enough water to supply Winnipeg for about 20 days. Before the Water Treatment Plant was built, raw water sampling was done at Deacon Reservoir. The water now leaves Deacon Reservoir and enters the Water Treatment Plant where we do our raw water testing.

Testing

We test the raw water at the Water Treatment Plant on a continual basis. We also test water from Shoal Lake, the Water Treatment Plant treated water outlet and the Winnipeg distribution system. We track seasonal variations in water quality as the water passes through the aqueduct, the Deacon Reservoirs and enters the Water Treatment Plant.

At the Water Treatment Plant raw water inlet sampling point we test for:

  • routine water chemistry
  • taste and odour compounds
  • metals
  • disinfection by-products
  • bacteria and protozoa
  • toxins produced by algae
  • pesticides, herbicides and PCBs

Test results are from January 1 to December 31, 2023

What is being measured How it's measured Water Treatment Plant raw average Water Treatment Plant raw range
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic parts per million 8.6 6.3 to 14.5
Carbon, Total Organic parts per million 8.7 6.8 to 15.6
Chlorine, Free parts per million 0.02 <0.02 to 0.10
Chlorine, Total parts per million 0.03 <0.02 to 0.12
Chlorophyll-a parts per billion 4.8 <1.0 to 13.4
Colour, Apparent TCU 15.5 10.0 to 24.0
Colour, True TCU 9.8 5.0 to 14.0
Conductivity microsiemens per centimetre 166 154 to 182
Langelier Index (4 C) units -0.43 -0.56 to -0.32
Langelier Index (60 C) units 0.35 0.22 to 0.45
Microcystin parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Odour units 92 70 to 150
ORP millivolts 442.0 294.1 to 558.8
Oxygen, Dissolved parts per million 10.6 7.1 to 13.5
pH units 7.83 6.98 to 8.50
Plankton (algae) count cells/mL 25,456 <100 to 213,200
Solids, Total parts per million 113 99 to 172
Solids, Total Dissolved parts per million 94 60 to 144
Temperature degrees Celcius 9.9 1.2 to 23.4
Turbidity (clearness) NTU 0.88 0.37 to 3.13
UV Transmittance, Filtered percent transmissivity 72.9 67.6 to 78.7
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered percent transmissivity 71.0 65.8 to 76.7
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 75.4 64.6 to 83.6
Alkalinity, Bicarbonate parts per million 83.5 71.5 to 100.0
Alkalinity, Carbonate parts per million <0.60 <0.60 to <1.0
Alkalinity, Hydroxide parts per million <0.34 <0.34 to <1.0
Hardness, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 81.4 73.8 to 99.6
Ammonia parts per million 0.02 <0.01 to 0.05
Bromide parts per million <0.050 <0.010 to <0.050
Chloride parts per million 2.1 1.3 to 2.9
Fluoride parts per million 0.060 0.057 to 0.063
Nitrate Nitrogen parts per million 0.033 <0.0050 to 0.079
Nitrite parts per million 0.002 <0.0010 to 0.006
Perchlorate parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Phosphorus,Total parts per million <0.030 <0.030 to <0.050
Sulphate parts per million <0.4 <0.4 to 0.7
Disinfection By-Products
Haloacetic acids parts per billion <1.2 <1.2 to <1.2
Trihalomethanes parts per billion <2.7 <2.7 to <2.7
Enteric Protozoa
Cryptosporidium oocysts per 100 L <0.1 <0.1 to <0.1
Giardia cysts per 100 L <0.1 <0.1 to <0.1
Total Metals
Aluminum parts per million 0.00250 0.00103 to 0.01413
Antimony parts per million 0.000086 <0.000025 to 0.000225
Arsenic parts per million 0.000891 0.000484 to 0.001403
Barium parts per million 0.0158 0.0144 to 0.0183
Beryllium parts per million <0.00010 <0.00002 to <0.00010
Bismuth parts per million <0.000050 <0.000050 to <0.000050
Boron parts per million 0.01139 0.00803 to 0.01800
Cadmium parts per million <0.000005 <0.000005 to <0.000007
Calcium parts per million 20.570 16.667 to 25.757
Cesium parts per million <0.000010 <0.000010 to <0.000010
Chromium parts per million <0.000040 <0.000040 to <0.00050
Chromium VI parts per million <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
Cobalt parts per million <0.00010 <0.00010 to <0.00010
Copper parts per million 0.000450 0.000091 to 0.002240
Iron parts per million 0.07874 0.01865 to 0.33450
Lead parts per million <0.000050 <0.000050 to <0.000065
Lithium parts per million 0.0023 0.0017 to 0.0025
Magnesium parts per million 6.187 5.066 to 7.260
Manganese parts per million 0.01230 0.00289 to 0.06894
Mercury parts per billion <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
Molybdenum parts per million 0.000163 0.000142 to 0.000189
Nickel parts per million 0.000299 <0.000021 to 0.000640
Potassium parts per million 1.245 0.970 to 1.472
Rubidium parts per million 0.0018 0.0016 to 0.0020
Selenium parts per million 0.000076 <0.000050 to 0.000122
Silicon parts per million 1.98 0.51 to 3.63
Silver parts per million <0.000010 <0.000010 to <0.000010
Sodium parts per million 2.334 1.983 to 2.685
Strontium parts per million 0.0406 0.0369 to 0.0438
Tellurium parts per million <0.00020 <0.00020 to <0.00020
Thallium parts per million <0.000010 <0.000010 to <0.000010
Thorium parts per million <0.00010 <0.00010 to <0.00010
Tin parts per million <0.00010 <0.00010 to <0.00010
Titanium parts per million <0.00030 <0.00030 to <0.00030
Tungsten parts per million <0.00010 <0.00010 to <0.00010
Uranium parts per million 0.000048 <0.000032 to 0.000116
Vanadium parts per million <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
Zinc parts per million 0.00065 <0.00011 to 0.00459
Zirconium parts per million <0.00020 <0.00020 to <0.00020
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-HCH parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.0070 <0.0070 to <0.0070
Atrazine parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Azinphos-methyl parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
beta-HCH parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.0070 <0.0070 to <0.0070
Carbaryl parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Carbofuran parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Chlorpyrifos parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
delta-HCH parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Diazinon parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Diclofop-methyl parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Dieldrin parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
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 <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Heptachlor parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Heptachlor Epoxide parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Lindane (gamma-HCH) parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Malathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
Methyl Parathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Metribuzin parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Mirex parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0080
o,p-DDD parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
o,p-DDE parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
o,p-DDT parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDD parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDE parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDT parts per billion <0.0040 <0.0040 to <0.0040
Parathion parts per billion <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
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 <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli MPN per 100 mL 28 <1 to >200
Total Coliforms MPN per 100 mL 89 <1 to >200
Heterotrophic Plate Count CFU per mL 151 6 to >300
Taste and Odours
Dichloromethane parts per billion <1.0 <1.0 to <1.0
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether parts per billion <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
NDMA - N-nitrosodimethylamine parts per billion <0.033 <0.033 to <0.10
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 <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
2,4-DP parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Bromoxynil parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Dicamba parts per billion <1.0 <0.10 to <1.0
Dinoseb parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
MCPA parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
MCPB parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Mecoprop parts per billion <0.50 <0.050 to <0.50
Picloram parts per billion <1.0 <0.10 to <1.0

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

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality do not appply to raw water.

Last updated: May 9, 2024

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