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2023 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, 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

Last updated: May 9, 2024

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