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2022 Water Treatment Plant treated water quality test results

Image of water treatment plant filter tanksThe 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, 2022

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 3.1 1.9 to 4.5
Carbon, Total Organic parts per million no guideline 2.8 1.7 to 4.1
Chlorine, Free parts per million no guideline 1.40 0.96 to 2.02
Chlorine, Total parts per million no guideline 1.62 1.13 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 1.5
Colour, True TCU no more than 15 * 0.0 0.0 to 0.5
Conductivity microsiemens per centimetre no guideline 303 270 to 356
Microcystin parts per billion no more than 1.5 <0.2 <0.2 to <0.2
Odour units inoffensive * 16 10 to 25
ORP millivolts no guideline 578.3 506.6 to 684.3
Oxygen, Dissolved parts per million no guideline 12.0 8.9 to 16.1
pH units between 7.0 and 10.5 7.78 7.57 to 8.27
Plankton (algae) count cells/mL no guideline <100 <100 to <100
Solids, Total parts per million no guideline 190 166 to 230
Solids, Total Dissolved parts per million no more than 500 * 168 127 to 210
Temperature degrees Celcius no more than 15 * 9.6 1.5 to 22.7
Turbidity (clearness) NTU no more than 0.3 in 95% of measurements/month, never to exceed 1.0 0.12 0.08 to 0.29
UV Transmittance, Filtered percent transmissivity no guideline 95.0 92.7 to 97.4
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered percent transmissivity no guideline 94.0 90.9 to 96.4
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate no guideline 71.0 61.7 to 86.0
Hardness, Total parts per million as calcium carbonate no guideline 80.4 71.6 to 92.7
Chloride parts per million no more than 250 * 4.7 3.6 to 7.2
Perchlorate parts per billion no guideline <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Sulphate parts per million no more than 500 * 71.4 52.3 to 96.5
Bacteria
Escherichia Coli MPN per 100 mL none detectable per 100 mL 0 0 to 0
Total Coliforms MPN per 100 mL none detectable per 100 mL 0 0 to 0
Heterotrophic Plate Count CFU per mL no guideline <1 <1 to 5
Disinfection By-Products
Haloacetic acids parts per billion no more than 80 13.3 5.5 to 18.0
Trihalomethanes parts per billion no more than 100 17.1 7.0 to 22.3
Taste and Odours
236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole parts per trillion no guideline <0.96 <0.96 to <2.02
246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole parts per trillion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 to <0.96
345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole parts per trillion no guideline <0.20 <0.20 to <0.38
Geosmin parts per trillion no guideline 1.2 <0.99 to 1.7
IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine parts per trillion no guideline <0.20 <0.20 to <0.38
IPMP - 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine parts per trillion no guideline <0.20 <0.20 to <0.38
Dichloromethane parts per million no more than 0.05 <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
MIB - 2-methylisoborneol parts per trillion no guideline <9.90 <9.90 to <19.23
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether parts per million no more than 0.015 * <0.0005 <0.0005 to <0.0005
NDMA -N-nitrosodimethylamine parts per trillion no more than 40 <0.0010 <0.0010 to <0.0010
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 <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4,5-TP parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4-D parts per billion no more than 100 <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
2,4-DB parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
2,4-DP parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Bromoxynil parts per billion no more than 5 <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Dicamba parts per billion no more than 120 <0.120 <0.008 to <0.120
Dinoseb parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
MCPA parts per billion no more than 100 <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
MCPB parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 to <0.050
Mecoprop parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Picloram parts per billion no more than 190 <0.50 <0.50 to <0.50
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-BHC parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Atrazine parts per billion no more than 5 <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Azinphos-methyl parts per billion no more than 20 <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
beta-BHC parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
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 <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
delta-BHC parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Diazinon parts per billion no more than 20 <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
Diclofop-methyl parts per billion no more than 9 <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Dieldrin parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
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 <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Heptachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Heptachlor Epoxide parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Lindane (gamma-BHC) parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Malathion parts per billion no more than 190 <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Methyl Parathion parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 to <0.10
Metribuzin parts per billion no more than 80 <0.20 <0.20 to <0.20
Mirex parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDD parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDE parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDT parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDD parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDE parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDT parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 to <0.010
Parathion parts per billion no guideline <0.0130 <0.0130 to <0.0130
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 <0.030 <0.030 to <0.030
Total Metals
Aluminum parts per million no guideline 0.00732 0.00205 to 0.03914
Antimony parts per million no more than 0.006 0.000028 <0.000025 to 0.000154
Arsenic parts per million no more than 0.010 0.000333 0.000248 to 0.000442
Boron parts per million no more than 5 0.00526 <0.00208 to 0.01162
Cadmium parts per million no more than 0.007 <0.000007 <0.000007 to 0.000007
Calcium parts per million no guideline 20.819 16.970 to 26.238
Chromium parts per million no more than 0.05 0.00005 <0.00004 to 0.00026
Chromium VI parts per million no guideline <0.00050 <0.00050 to <0.00050
Copper parts per million no more than 2.0 0.000337 <0.000022 to 0.003860
Iron parts per million no more than 0.3 * 0.05282 0.01795 to 0.10672
Lead parts per million no more than 0.005 <0.000065 <0.000065 to <0.000065
Magnesium parts per million no guideline 6.192 4.880 to 7.474
Manganese parts per million no more than 0.12 0.00863 0.00390 to 0.01473
Mercury parts per billion no more than 1 <0.0050 <0.0050 to <0.0050
Nickel parts per million no guideline 0.002576 0.001976 to 0.003497
Potassium parts per million no guideline 1.249 0.970 to 1.550
Sodium parts per million no more than 200 * 30.714 24.497 to 39.278
Uranium parts per million no more than 0.02 <0.000032 <0.000032 to 0.000048
Zinc parts per million no more than 5.0 * 0.00154 0.00020 to 0.02194

* 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

Last updated: May 1, 2023

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