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2020 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, 2020

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 8.3 3.2 to 11.1
Carbon, Total Organic parts per million 8.2 7 to 10.6
Chlorine, Free parts per million 0.02 <0.02 to 0.13
Chlorine, Total parts per million 0.03 <0.02 to 0.15
Chlorophyll-a parts per billion 7 1.1 to 14.7
Colour, Apparent TCU 14.5 8.5 to 28.5
Colour, True TCU 8.5 2 to 17
Conductivity microsiemens per centimetre 162 152 to 176
Langelier Index (4 C) units -0.36 -0.42 to -0.31
Langelier Index (60 C) units 0.41 0.36 to 0.46
Microcystin parts per billion <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Odour units 89 75 to 150
ORP millivolts 464.8 290.7 to 554.1
Oxygen, Dissolved parts per million 11.1 6 to 14.9
pH units 7.9 7.32 to 8.55
Plankton (algae) count cells/mL 5,859 1,117 to 14,530
Solids, Total parts per million 106 85 to 131
Solids, Total Dissolved parts per million 85 64 to 115
Temperature degrees Celcius 9.2 1.2 to 24.2
Turbidity (clearness) NTU 0.96 0.35 to 3.88
UV Transmittance, Filtered percent transmissivity 74.7 72.1 to 78.4
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered percent transmissivity 72.9 70.2 to 76.4
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 75.5 69.2 to 87
Alkalinity, Bicarbonate parts per million 96.4 91.5 to 106
Alkalinity, Carbonate parts per million <0.60 <0.60 to <0.60
Alkalinity, Hydroxide parts per million <0.34 <0.34 to <0.34
Hardness, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate 79.9 72.9 to 91.2
Ammonia parts per million 0.01 <0.01 to 0.02
Bromide parts per million <0.01 <0.01 to <0.01
Chloride parts per million 2 1.4 to 2.6
Fluoride parts per million 0.061 0.059 to 0.065
Nitrate Nitrogen parts per million 0.014 <0.005 to 0.037
Nitrite parts per million <0.001 <0.001 to 0.001
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 1.2 <0.4 to 5.2
Disinfection By-Products
Aldehydes parts per billion 6.6 4.3 to 10.3
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 0 to 0
Giardia cysts per 100 L 0 0 to 0
Total Metals
Aluminum parts per million 0.00279 0.00094 to 0.0135
Antimony parts per million 0.000046 <0.000025 to 0.000344
Arsenic parts per million 0.000796 0.00052 to 0.001376
Barium parts per million 0.015 0.014 to 0.0168
Beryllium parts per million <0.00010 <0.00010 to <0.00010
Bismuth parts per million <0.000050 <0.000050 to <0.000050
Boron parts per million 0.00534 <0.00208 to 0.016
Cadmium parts per million <0.000007 <0.000007 to 0.000007
Calcium parts per million 20.421 17.26 to 26.08
Cesium parts per million <0.000010 <0.000010 to <0.000010
Chromium parts per million 0.00005 <0.00004 to 0.00041
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 0.000504 0.000043 to 0.002523
Iron parts per million 0.06284 0.02854 to 0.13196
Lead parts per million <0.000065 <0.000065 to 0.000175
Lithium parts per million 0.0026 0.0025 to 0.0028
Magnesium parts per million 6.309 4.919 to 7.942
Manganese parts per million 0.01323 0.00364 to 0.04925
Mercury parts per billion <0.0050 <0.00050 to <0.0050
Molybdenum parts per million 0.000155 0.000148 to 0.000171
Nickel parts per million 0.000206 <0.000021 to 0.001146
Potassium parts per million 1.247 0.965 to 1.731
Rubidium parts per million 0.0017 0.0016 to 0.0018
Selenium parts per million 0.000067 0.000057 to 0.000077
Silicon parts per million 3.04 2.12 to 3.49
Silver parts per million <0.000010 <0.000010 to <0.000010
Sodium parts per million 2.341 2.023 to 2.891
Strontium parts per million 0.0399 0.0372 to 0.0456
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 <0.000032 <0.000032 to 0.000058
Vanadium parts per million <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
Zinc parts per million 0.00085 <0.00011 to 0.00675
Zirconium parts per million <0.00020 <0.00020 to <0.00020
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Aldrin parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-BHC parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0100 to <0.0500
Atrazine parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Azinphos-methyl parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0100 to <0.0300
beta-BHC parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0100 to <0.0500
Carbaryl parts per billion <0.2000 <0.2000 to <0.4000
Carbofuran parts per billion <0.2000 <0.2000 to <0.4000
Chlorothalonil parts per billion <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
Chlorpyrifos parts per billion <0.0250 <0.0050 to <0.0250
delta-BHC parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Diazinon parts per billion <0.0250 <0.0050 to <0.0250
Diclofop-methyl parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Dieldrin parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Dimethoate parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Endrin parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0100 to <0.0100
Eptam parts per billion <0.200 <0.200 to <0.200
gamma-Chlordane parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Heptachlor parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Heptachlor Epoxide parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Lindane (gamma-BHC) parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
Malathion parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Methoxychlor parts per billion <0.5000 <0.0080 to <0.5000
Methyl Parathion parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Metribuzin parts per billion <0.2000 <0.2000 to <0.4000
Mirex parts per billion <0.0080 <0.0080 to <0.0100
o,p-DDD parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0040 to <0.0100
o,p-DDE parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0040 to <0.0100
o,p-DDT parts per billion <0.5000 <0.0040 to <0.5000
p,p-DDD parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0040 to <0.0100
p,p-DDE parts per billion <0.0100 <0.0040 to <0.0100
p,p-DDT parts per billion <0.1000 <0.0040 to <0.1000
Parathion parts per billion <0.0130 <0.0130 to <0.0260
Propaclor parts per billion <0.200 <0.200 to <0.200
Propanil parts per billion <0.200 <0.200 to <0.200
Propoxur parts per billion <0.200 <0.200 to <0.200
Simazine parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Terbufos parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Triallate parts per billion <0.1000 <0.1000 to <0.2000
Trichlopyr parts per billion <0.0500 <0.0500 to <0.0500
Trifluralin parts per billion <0.0300 <0.0300 to <0.0600
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli MPN per 100 mL 29 0 to >200
Total Coliforms MPN per 100 mL 93 0 to >200
Heterotrophic Plate Count CFU per mL 125 <1 to >300
Taste and Odours
236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole parts per trillion <0.48 <0.48 to <0.51
246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole parts per trillion <0.48 <0.48 to <0.51
345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole parts per trillion <0.19 <0.19 to <0.20
Geosmin parts per trillion 7.23 1 to 34.7
IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine parts per trillion <0.19 <0.19 to <0.20
IPMP - 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine parts per trillion <0.19 <0.19 to <0.20
Dichloromethane parts per million <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
MIB - 2-methylisoborneol parts per trillion <9.60 <9.60 to 16
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether parts per million <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
NDMA - N-nitrosodimethylamine parts per trillion 2 0.51 to 4.1
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Arochlor 1016 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1221 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1232 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1242 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1248 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1254 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Arochlor 1260 parts per billion <0.0200 <0.0200 to <0.0200
Phenoxy Acid Herbicides
2,4,5-T parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4,5-TP parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4-D parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4-DB parts per billion <0.0500 <0.0500 to <0.0500
2,4-DP parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
Bromoxynil parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
Dicamba parts per billion 0.009 <0.0060 to 0.0167
Dinoseb parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
MCPA parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
MCPB parts per billion <0.0500 <0.0500 to <0.0500
Mecoprop parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000
Picloram parts per billion <0.5000 <0.5000 to <0.5000

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: April 15, 2021

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