2011 Water Treatment Plant treated water quality test results
The new 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. Fluoride and 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
| What is being measured | How it's measured | Guideline or regulation | Water Treatment Plant treated average | Water Treatment Plant treated range | Comments |
| Odour | units | Inoffensive | 23 | 20 to 35 | Meets the guideline |
| Geosmin | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <0.9 | Common taste and odour compound |
| IPMP - 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <0.5 | Common taste and odour compound |
| IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <0.5 | Common taste and odour compound |
| MIB - 2-methylisoborneol | parts per trillion | no guideline | 0.68 | <0.5 to <2.0 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <2.0 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <1.0 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <0.5 | <0.5 to <0.5 | Common taste and odour compound |
| MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether | parts per million | no more than 0.015 | <0.0005 | <0.0005 to <0.0005 | Meets the guideline |
| NDMA - N-nitrosodimethylamine |
parts per billion | under review | 0.0020 | 0.0015 to 0.0028 | Guideline under review by Health Canada |
| Plankton (algae) count | cells/mL | no guideline | <100 | <100 to <100 | Algae contribute to odours and may cause filter clogging |
| Chlorophyll-a * | parts per billion | no guideline | <1 | <1 to 1 | Chlorophyll is found in algae |
| Microcystin LR | parts per billion | no more than 1.5 | <0.2 | <0.2 to <0.2 | Meets the guideline |
| Turbidity (clearness) | NTU | no more than 1 | 0.19 | 0.1 to 0.3 | Meets the guideline |
| Colour, True | TCU | no more than 15 | 2.0 | 0.5 to 7.5 | Meets the guideline |
| Total Solids | parts per million | no guideline | 192 | 169 to 217 | - |
| Total Dissolved Solids | parts per million | no more than 500 | 178 | 131 to 201 | Meets the guideline |
| Conductivity | microsiemens per centimetre | no guideline | 320 | 293 to 363 | Another measure of dissolved solids |
| pH | units | between 6.5 and 8.5 | 7.89 | 7.47 to 9.27 | Does not always meet the guideline |
| Temperature | degrees Celcius | no more than 15 | 10.2 | 1 to 23.9 | Does not always meet the guideline |
| Total Alkalinity | parts per million as calcium carbonate | no guideline | 70 | 56 to 80 | - |
| Total Hardness | parts per million as calcium carbonate | between 80 and 100 | 78 | 71 to 86 | 80 to 100 parts per million is recommended |
| Total Organic Carbon | parts per million | no guideline | 4 | 2 to 6 | - |
| Dissolved Organic Carbon | parts per million | no guideline | 4 | 2 to 6 | - |
| Total Inorganic Carbon | parts per million | no guideline | 13.0 | <1.0 to 18.7 | - |
| Total Phosphorus | parts per million | no guideline | <0.20 | <0.20 to <0.20 | Phosphorus can contribute to algae growth |
| Ammonia Dissolved | parts per million | no guideline | <0.010 | <0.010 to 0.014 | - |
| Nitrate Nitrogen | parts per million | no more than 10 | <0.050 | <0.050 to 0.064 | Meets the guideline |
| Chloride | parts per million | no more than 250 | 19 | 13 to 25 | Meets the guideline |
| Sulphate | parts per million | no more than 500 | 52 | 46 to 61 | Meets the guideline |
| UV Transmittance (Filtered) | percent transmissivity | no guideline | 95.1 | 90.7 to 98.1 | - |
| UV Transmittance (Unfiltered) | percent transmissivity | no guideline | 93.6 | 87.9 to 96.6 | - |
| Chlorine (free) | parts per million | Operating Licence – minimum 0.50 | 1.17 | 0.82 to 1.88 | Meets the Operating Licence |
| Chlorine (total) | parts per million | no guideline | 1.38 | 1.03 to 2.07 | - |
| Trihalomethanes | parts per billion | no more than 100 | 10 | <0.5 to 19 | Meets the guideline |
| Bromodichloromethane | parts per billion | no more than 16 | 1 | <0.5 to 3.1 | Meets the guideline |
| Haloacetic acids | parts per billion | no more than 80 | 14 | <5 to 24 | Meets the guideline |
| Aldehydes | parts per billion | no guideline | 21 | 10 to 35 | - |
| Calcium | parts per million | no guideline | 21.1 | 20.2 to 21.7 | Contributes to hardness |
| Magnesium | parts per million | no guideline | 5.9 | 5.36 to 6.58 | Contributes to hardness |
| Sodium | parts per million | no more than 200 | 34.0 | 27.45 to 43.75 | Meets the guideline |
| Potassium | parts per million | no guideline | 1.2 | 1.11 to 1.34 | - |
| Iron | parts per million | no more than 0.3 | 0.10 | <0.01 to 0.25 | Meets the guideline |
| Copper | parts per million | no more than 1.0 | 0.003 | 0.00261 to 0.00326 | Meets the guideline |
| Lead | parts per million | no more than 0.01 | <0.0009 | <0.0009 to <0.0009 | Meets the guideline |
| Aluminum | parts per million | no more than 0.1 | 0.006 | <0.005 to 0.0067 | Meets the guideline |
| Arsenic | parts per million | no more than 0.01 | 0.0004 | 0.00032 to 0.00049 | Meets the guideline |
| Chromium | parts per million | no more than 0.05 | <0.001 | <0.001 to <0.001 | Meets the guideline |
| Nickel | parts per million | no guideline | 0.002 | 0.0021 to 0.0029 | - |
| Cadmium | parts per million | no more than 0.005 | <0.00001 | <0.00001 to <0.00001 | Meets the guideline |
| Manganese | parts per million | no more than 0.05 | 0.027 | 0.0233 to 0.0307 | Meets the guideline |
| Zinc | parts per million | no more than 5.0 | <0.005 | <0.005 to <0.005 | Meets the guideline |
| Mercury | parts per million | no more than 0.001 | <0.000001 | <0.000001 to <0.000001 | Meets the guideline |
| Antimony | parts per million | no more than 0.006 | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | Meets the guideline |
| Barium | parts per million | no more than 1 | 0.0159 | 0.0146 to 0.0179 | Meets the guideline |
| Beryllium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | - |
| Bismuth | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | - |
| Boron | parts per million | no more than 5 | 0.010 | <0.010 to 0.013 | Meets the guideline |
| Cesium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00010 | <0.00010 to <0.00010 | - |
| Cobalt | parts per million | no guideline | 0.00022 | 0.00021 to 0.00023 | - |
| Lithium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0021 | <0.0020 to 0.0029 | - |
| Molybdenum | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | - |
| Rubidium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.00163 | 0.00156 to 0.00177 | - |
| Selenium | parts per million | no more than 0.01 | <0.0010 | <0.0010 to <0.0010 | Meets the guideline |
| Silicon | parts per million | no guideline | 0.57 | 0.23 to 1.38 | - |
| Silver | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00010 | <0.00010 to <0.00010 | - |
| Strontium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0394 | 0.0387 to 0.0411 | - |
| Tellurium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | - |
| Thallium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00010 | <0.00010 to <0.00010 | - |
| Thorium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00010 | <0.00010 to <0.00010 | - |
| Tin | parts per million | no guideline | 0.00031 | <0.00020 to 0.00093 | - |
| Titanium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.00021 | <0.00020 to 0.00033 | - |
| Tungsten | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0010 | <0.0010 to <0.0010 | - |
| Uranium | parts per million | no more than 0.02 | <0.00010 | <0.00010 to <0.00010 | Meets the guideline |
| Vanadium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00020 | <0.00020 to <0.00020 | - |
| Zirconium | parts per million | no more than 0.1 | <0.00040 | <0.00040 to <0.00040 | Meets the guideline |
Guidelines from 'Summary of Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality' by Health Canada, revised February 1, 2012
* Data reported was collected from Branch I at McPhillips/Branch II at Hurst
Last updated: December 8, 2020