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