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2024 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, 2024

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 3.3 2.5 4.3
Carbon, Total   Organic parts per million no guideline 2.8 1.4 6.0
Chlorine, Free parts per million no   guideline 1.44 0.93 2.03
Chlorine,   Total parts per million no guideline 1.66 1.20 2.40
Chlorophyll-a parts per billion no guideline <1.0 <1.0 <1.0
Colour,  Apparent TCU no guideline 0.7 0.0 2.5
Colour, True TCU no more than 15 * 0.0 0.0 0.0
Conductivity microsiemens   per centimetre no guideline 292 270 313
Microcystin parts per billion no more than 1.5 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2
Odour  units inoffensive* 15 8 25
ORP millivolts no guideline 604.2 512.1 675.1
Oxygen,   Dissolved parts per million no guideline 11.6 8.7 16.0
pH  units between 7.0 and 10.5 7.76 7.23 7.99
Plankton   (algae) count  cells/mL no guideline <100 <100 <100
Solids, Total parts per million no guideline 182 151 201
Solids, Total   Dissolved parts per million no more than 500 * 160 101 186
Temperature degrees Celcius no more than 15 * 11.0 1.1 24.4
Turbidity   (clearness) NTU no   more than 0.3 in 95% of measurements/month,
     never to exceed 1.0
0.11 0.06 0.70
UV Absorbance,   Filtered absorbance units no guideline 0.023 0.008 0.034
UV   Transmittance, Filtered percent   transmissivity no guideline 94.8 92.5 98.2
UV   Transmittance, Unfiltered percent   transmissivity no guideline 93.6 81.7 96.8
Anions and   Nutrients
Alkalinity,   Total parts   per million as calcium carbonate no guideline 67.5 61.1 74.3
Hardness,   Total parts   per million as calcium carbonate no guideline 80.4 73.3 94.3
Chloride parts per million no more than 250 * 3.8 3.3 5.1
Perchlorate parts per billion no guideline <0.20 <0.20 <0.20
Sulphate parts per million no more than 500 * 65.0 50.4 78.5
Bacteria
Escherichia   Coli MPN per 100 mL none   detectable per 100 mL <1 <1 <1
Total   Coliforms MPN per 100 mL none   detectable per 100 mL <1 <1 <1
Heterotrophic   Plate Count CFU per mL no guideline <1 <1 2
Disinfection   By-Products
BDCM parts per billion no guideline 1.7 0.9 2.7
Haloacetic   acids parts per billion no more than 80 13.2 5.6 16.6
Trihalomethanes parts per billion no more than 100 14.81 7.40 18.30
Metals, Total
Aluminum parts per million no more than 2.9 0.00536 0.00162 0.02940
Antimony parts per million no more than 0.006 0.000057 <0.000025 0.000261
Arsenic parts per million no more than 0.010 0.000356 0.000255 0.000482
Boron parts per million no more than 5 0.01064 0.00825 0.01302
Cadmium parts per million no more than 0.007 <0.000007 <0.000007 0.000013
Calcium parts per million no guideline 20.996 18.244 24.143
Chromium parts per million no more than 0.05 0.00005 <0.00004 0.00017
Chromium VI parts per million no guideline <0.00050 <0.00050 <0.00050
Copper parts per million no more than 2.0 0.000777 0.000116 0.004292
Iron parts per million no more than 0.1 * 0.06088 0.01310 0.10224
Lead parts per million no more than 0.005 <0.000065 <0.000065 <0.000065
Magnesium parts per million no guideline 6.438 5.614 7.573
Manganese parts per million no more than 0.12 0.01193 0.00755 0.02463
Mercury parts per million no more than 0.001 <0.0000050 <0.0000050 <0.0000050
Nickel parts per million no guideline 0.003155 0.002438 0.004048
Potassium parts per million no guideline 1.219 1.031 1.482
Sodium parts per million no more than 200 * 29.626 25.481 34.865
Uranium parts per million no more than 0.02 0.000034 <0.000032 0.000131
Zinc parts per million no more than 5.0 * 0.00062 0.00013 0.00314
Phenoxy Acid Herbicides
2,4,5-T parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
2,4,5-TP parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
2,4-D parts per billion no more than 100 <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
2,4-DB parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
2,4-DP parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Asulam parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Brodifacoum parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Bromacil parts per billion no guideline <1.0 <0.10 <1.0
Bromoxynil parts per billion no more than 30 <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Clopyralid parts per billion no guideline <1.0 <0.10 <1.0
Dicamba parts per billion no more than 110 <1.0 <0.10 <1.0
Diflufenican parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Dinoseb parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Linuron parts per billion no guideline <1.0 <0.10 <1.0
MCPA parts per billion no more than 350 <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
MCPB parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Mecoprop parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Nicarbazin parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Oryzalin parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Picloram parts per billion no guideline <1.0 <0.10 <1.0
Terbacil parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Polychlorinated   Biphenyls
Arochlor 1016 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1221 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1232 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1242 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1248 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1254 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1260 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1262 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Arochlor 1268 parts per billion no guideline <0.020 <0.020 <0.020
Pesticides
Alachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Aldicarb parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Aldrin parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
alpha-Chlordane parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
alpha-Endosulfan parts per billion no guideline <0.0070 <0.0070 <0.0070
alpha-HCH parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Atrazine parts per billion no more than 5 <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Azinphos-methyl parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Bendiocarb parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
beta-Endosulfan parts per billion no guideline <0.0070 <0.0070 <0.0070
beta-HCH parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Carbaryl parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Carbofuran parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
Chlordane parts per billion no guideline <0.0110 <0.0110 <0.0110
Chlorothalonil parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Chlorpyrifos parts per billion no more than 90 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Cyanazine parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
delta-HCH parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Diazinon parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.1250
Diclofop-methyl parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Dieldrin parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Dimethoate parts per billion no more than 20 <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Diuron parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Endosulfan parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 <0.010
Endosulfan   Sulfate parts per billion no guideline <0.0070 <0.0070 <0.0070
Endrin parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 <0.010
Endrin   Aldehyde parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 <0.010
Ethalfluralin parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
EPTC (Eptam) parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 <0.50
gamma-Chlordane parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
gamma-HCH   (Lindane) parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Heptachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Heptachlor   Epoxide parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Hexachlorobenzene parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Hexachlorobutadiene parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Hexachlorocyclohexane,   total parts per billion no guideline <0.0160 <0.0160 <0.0160
Hexachloroethane parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Malathion parts per billion no more than 290 <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
Methoxychlor parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Methyl   Parathion parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Metolachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
Metribuzin parts per billion no more than 80 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Metsulfuron-methyl parts per billion no guideline <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Mirex parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
Omethoate parts per billion no more than 20 <0.050 <0.050 <0.050
Oxychlordane parts per billion no guideline <0.0080 <0.0080 <0.0080
o,p-DDD parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
o,p-DDE parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
o,p-DDT parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
p,p-DDD parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
p,p-DDE parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
p,p-DDT parts per billion no guideline <0.0040 <0.0040 <0.0040
Total-DDD parts per billion no guideline <0.0060 <0.0060 <0.0060
Total-DDE parts per billion no guideline <0.0060 <0.0060 <0.0060
Total-DDT parts per billion no guideline <0.0060 <0.0060 <0.0060
Parathion parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Pentachloronitrobenzene parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 <0.010
Phorate parts per billion no guideline <0.250 <0.250 <0.250
Propaclor parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
Propanil parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.010 <0.10
Propoxur parts per billion no guideline <0.0250 <0.0250 <0.0250
Simazine parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Terbufos parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.50 <0.50
Trans-Nonachlor parts per billion no guideline <0.010 <0.010 <0.010
Triallate parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Trichlopyr parts per billion no guideline <0.50 <0.050 <0.50
Trifluralin parts per billion no guideline <0.10 <0.10 <0.10
Taste and Odours
Dichloromethane parts per billion no more than 50 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether parts per billion no more than 15 * <0.50 <0.50 <0.50
NDMA   -N-nitrosodimethylamine parts per billion no more than 0.04 <0.034 <0.034 <0.034

* Aesthetic objective: These guidelines have an   objective and not a maximum acceptable concentration. 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, March 2025

Results   in red do not meet the guideline

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.

Last updated: April 4, 2025

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