2023 Water Treatment Plant treated water quality test results

The Water Treatment Plant is a state-of-the-art, modern facility designed for performance, safety, and environmental sustainability. In the plant, the water goes through several treatment processes, including dissolved air flotation, ozonation, filtration and ultraviolet light disinfection. orthophosphate are also added to the water. The Water Treatment Plant allows us to:

• comply with the requirements of our Operating Licence
• meet increasingly strict Canadian drinking water quality guidelines,
• virtually eliminate the risk of waterborne disease,
• reduce levels of disinfection by-products and
• significantly improve the taste and odour of the drinking water.

Our Operating Licence requires that we maintain a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.5 milligrams per litre in water leaving the Water Treatment Plant.

Testing

We test our water at Shoal Lake, at the Water Treatment Plant raw water inlet and at the Water Treatment Plant treated water outlet once the water has passed through all of the treatment processes. The water then flows from the water treatment plant to the three regional reservoirs and pumping stations before being distributed to Winnipeg homes and businesses.

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

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

Test results are from January 1 to December 31, 2023

What is being measured	How it's measured	Guideline or regulation	Water Treatment Plant treated average	Water Treatment Plant treated range
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic	parts per million	no guideline	3.2	2.2 to 4.2
Carbon, Total Organic	parts per million	no guideline	3.0	2.2 to 3.9
Chlorine, Free	parts per million	no guideline	1.40	1.06 to 2.05
Chlorine, Total	parts per million	no guideline	1.67	1.27 to 2.40
Chlorophyll-a	parts per billion	no guideline	<1.0	<1.0 to <1.0
Colour, Apparent	TCU	no guideline	0.4	0.0 to 2.5
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	0.0	0.0 to 0.0
Conductivity	microsiemens per centimetre	no guideline	304	277 to 346
Microcystin	parts per billion	no more than 1.5	<0.2	<0.2 to <0.2
Odour	units	inoffensive *	17	8 to 25
ORP	millivolts	no guideline	512.4	217.6 to 642.0
Oxygen, Dissolved	parts per million	no guideline	11.5	7.5 to 15.0
pH	units	between 7.0 and 10.5	7.77	7.29 to 7.96
Plankton (algae) count	cells/mL	no guideline	<100	<100 to <100
Solids, Total	parts per million	no guideline	190	170 to 236
Solids, Total Dissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	169	141 to 191
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	10.2	1.5 to 22.8
Turbidity (clearness)	NTU	no more than 0.3 in 95% of measurements/month, never to exceed 1.0	0.14	0.10 to 0.27
UV Transmittance, Filtered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	94.3	92.3 to 96.8
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	93.0	90.0 to 96.2
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	70.0	58.3 to 85.3
Hardness, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	81.6	74.9 to 94.3
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	4.5	3.4 to 5.7
Perchlorate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	59.8	52.2 to 66.9
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli	MPN per 100 mL	none detectable per 100 mL	<1	<1 to <1
Total Coliforms	MPN per 100 mL	none detectable per 100 mL	<1	<1 to <1
Heterotrophic Plate Count	CFU per mL	no guideline	2	<1 to 201
Disinfection By-Products
Haloacetic acids	parts per billion	no more than 80	16.7	6.9 to 28.0
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	19.5	7.1 to 29.3
Taste and Odours
Dichloromethane	parts per billion	no more than 50	<1.0	<1.0 to <1.0
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether	parts per billion	no more than 15	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
NDMA -N-nitrosodimethylamine	parts per billion	no more than 0.04	<0.033	<0.033 to <0.10
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
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	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
Dicamba	parts per billion	no more than 120	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Dinoseb	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
MCPA	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
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	<0.50	<0.10 to <0.50
Pesticides
Alachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-HCH	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
alpha-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0070	<0.0070 to <0.0070
Atrazine	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Azinphos-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
beta-HCH	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
beta-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0070	<0.0070 to <0.0070
Carbaryl	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Carbofuran	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Chlorpyrifos	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
delta-HCH	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Diazinon	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Diclofop-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 9	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Dieldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Dimethoate	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Endrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Eptam	parts per billion	no guideline	<2.0	<0.20 to <2.0
gamma-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Heptachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Heptachlor Epoxide	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Lindane (gamma-HCH)	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Malathion	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
Methyl Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Metribuzin	parts per billion	no more than 80	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Mirex	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0080
o,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
o,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
o,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
p,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0040	<0.0040 to <0.0040
Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Propaclor	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
Terbufos	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
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	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Total Metals
Aluminum	parts per million	no guideline	0.00580	0.00171 to 0.03220
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	0.000144	<0.000025 to 0.000703
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	0.000349	0.000277 to 0.000440
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	0.01160	0.00824 to 0.02044
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.007	<0.000007	<0.000007 to 0.000014
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	20.997	16.938 to 24.964
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	0.00005	<0.00004 to 0.00020
Chromium VI	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00050	<0.00050 to <0.00050
Copper	parts per million	no more than 2.0	0.000373	<0.000022 to 0.001940
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.3 *	0.06781	0.01504 to 0.12974
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.005	<0.000065	<0.000065 to <0.000065
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	6.301	5.280 to 7.279
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.12	0.00996	0.00507 to 0.01857
Mercury	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0050
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	0.002691	0.001672 to 0.004841
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	1.261	1.038 to 1.560
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	29.785	25.643 to 36.391
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	0.000048	<0.000032 to 0.000172
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	0.00091	0.00019 to 0.00914

* 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, September 2020

Results in red are over acceptable limits per guideline.

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

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