2020 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
• pesticides, herbicides, and PCBs

Test results are from January 1 to December 31, 2020

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	2 to 4.9
Carbon, Total Organic	parts per million	no guideline	2.9	1.8 to 4.5
Chlorine, Free	parts per million	no guideline	1.29	0.97 to 2.44
Chlorine, Total	parts per million	no guideline	1.48	1.14 to 2.88
Chlorophyll-a	parts per billion	no guideline	<1.0	<1.0 to <1.0
Colour, Apparent	TCU	no guideline	0.9	0 to 6
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	0.2	0 to 2
Conductivity	microsiemens per centimetre	no guideline	296	279 to 324
Microcystin	parts per billion	no more than 1.5	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Odour	units	inoffensive*	14	8 to 20
ORP	millivolts	no guideline	579.9	507.6 to 629.6
Oxygen, Dissolved	parts per million	no guideline	12.4	8.2 to 16.9
pH	units	between 7.0 and 10.5	7.68	7.45 to 7.89
Plankton (algae) count	cells/mL	no guideline	<100	<100 to <100
Solids, Total	parts per million	no guideline	182	156 to 222
Solids, Total Dissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	162	128 to 186
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	9.5	1.9 to 24.7
Turbidity (clearness)	NTU	no more than 0.3 in 95% of measurements/month, never to exceed 1.0	0.13	0.09 to 0.25
UV Transmittance, Filtered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	94.7	92.5 to 97.2
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	93.5	91.2 to 96.3
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	68.5	61.2 to 77.1
Hardness, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	80	72.3 to 90.5
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	4.1	2.4 to 5.4
Perchlorate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to 0.33
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	67.9	59.9 to 79.1
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 1
Disinfection By-Products
Aldehydes	parts per billion	no guideline	15	9 to 29.6
Haloacetic acids	parts per billion	no more than 80	11.7	4.1 to 19.1
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	15.5	5.6 to 25.4
Taste and Odours
236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.48	<0.48 to <0.51
246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.48	<0.48 to <0.51
345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <1.50
Geosmin	parts per trillion	no guideline	2.34	<1.00 to 5.37
IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <0.20
IPMP - 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <0.20
Dichloromethane	parts per million	no more than 0.05	<0.0050	<0.0050 to 0.0078
MIB - 2-methylisoborneol	parts per trillion	no guideline	<9.60	<9.60 to 14.8
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	3.06	1.32 to 7.39
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	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4,5-TP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4-D	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
2,4-DB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0500	<0.0500 to <0.0500
2,4-DP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
Bromoxynil	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
Dicamba	parts per billion	no more than 120	0.0077	<0.0060 to 0.0164
Dinoseb	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
MCPA	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
MCPB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0500	<0.0500 to <0.0500
Mecoprop	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
Picloram	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.5000	<0.5000 to <0.5000
Pesticides
Alachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Aldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
alpha-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0100 to <0.0100
Atrazine	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Azinphos-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.0100	<0.0100 to <0.0200
beta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
beta-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0100 to <0.0100
Carbaryl	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.2000	<0.2000 to <0.4000
Carbofuran	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.2000	<0.2000 to <0.4000
Chlorothalonil	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
Chlorpyrifos	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0100
delta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Diazinon	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0100
Diclofop-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 9	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Dieldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Dimethoate	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Endrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0100 to <0.0100
Eptam	parts per billion	no guideline	<2.00	<0.200 to <2.00
gamma-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Heptachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Heptachlor Epoxide	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Lindane (gamma-BHC)	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
Malathion	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Methoxychlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.0080 to <0.5000
Methyl Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Metribuzin	parts per billion	no more than 80	<0.2000	<0.2000 to <0.4000
Mirex	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0080	<0.0080 to <0.0100
o,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0040 to <0.0100
o,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0040 to <0.0100
o,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.5000	<0.0040 to <0.5000
p,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0040 to <0.0100
p,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0100	<0.0040 to <0.0100
p,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0500	<0.0040 to <0.0500
Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0130	<0.0130 to <0.0260
Propaclor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.200	<0.200 to <0.200
Propanil	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.200	<0.200 to <0.200
Propoxur	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.200	<0.200 to <0.200
Simazine	parts per billion	no more than 10	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Terbufos	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Triallate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.1000	<0.1000 to <0.2000
Trichlopyr	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0500	<0.0500 to <0.0500
Trifluralin	parts per billion	no more than 45	<0.0300	<0.0300 to <0.0600
Total Metals
Aluminum	parts per million	no guideline	0.00597	0.00249 to 0.03896
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	0.000062	<0.000025 to 0.000393
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	0.000297	0.000163 to 0.000488
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	0.00474	<0.00208 to 0.00936
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.007	<0.000007	<0.000007 to 0.000009
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	20.771	18.206 to 25.569
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	0.00035	<0.00004 to 0.01358
Chromium VI	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00050	<0.00050 to <0.00050
Copper	parts per million	no more than 2.0	0.000778	<0.000022 to 0.014543
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.3 *	0.06678	0.01878 to 0.22882
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.005	<0.000065	<0.000065 to <0.000065
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	6.327	5.479 to 7.812
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.12	0.00976	0.00518 to 0.02605
Mercury	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.0050	<0.00050 to <0.0050
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	0.002449	0.001791 to 0.003072
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	1.274	0.973 to 1.743
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	29.317	24.692 to 36.565
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	<0.000032	<0.000032 to 0.000052
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	0.00124	0.00019 to 0.01616

* 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