2021 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. 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, 2021

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	1.5 to 4.9
Carbon, Total Organic	parts per million	no guideline	2.9	1.3 to 5.4
Chlorine, Free	parts per million	no guideline	1.34	0.94 to 1.85
Chlorine, Total	parts per million	no guideline	1.55	1.10 to 2.08
Chlorophyll-a	parts per billion	no guideline	<1.0	<1.0 to <1.0
Colour, Apparent	TCU	no guideline	0.3	0.0 to 1.5
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	0.0	0.0 to 1.0
Conductivity	microsiemens per centimetre	no guideline	303	290 to 336
Microcystin	parts per billion	no more than 1.5	<0.2	<0.2 to <0.2
Odour	units	inoffensive*	16	10 to 25
ORP	millivolts	no guideline	590.8	498.9 to 670.8
Oxygen, Dissolved	parts per million	no guideline	12.2	8.3 to 17.0
pH	units	between 7.0 and 10.5	7.66	6.82 to 8.66
Plankton (algae) count	cells/mL	no guideline	<100	<100 to <100
Solids, Total	parts per million	no guideline	188	159 to 209
Solids, Total Dissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	166	139 to 195
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	10.8	1.5 to 23.7
Turbidity (clearness)	NTU	no more than 0.3 in 95% of measurements/month, never to exceed 1.0	0.11	0.07 to 0.19
UV Transmittance, Filtered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	95.0	92.4 to 99.6
UV Transmittance, Unfiltered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	94.2	91.2 to 99.5
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	69.7	62.3 to 83.7
Hardness, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	81.4	77.6 to 90.8
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	4.4	3.8 to 5.1
Perchlorate	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	72.1	65.3 to 88.3
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	15.6	10.1 to 25.5
Haloacetic acids	parts per billion	no more than 80	11.0	6.5 to 21.0
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	16.3	5.4 to 28.4
Taste and Odours
236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.49	<0.49 to <0.53
246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.49	<0.49 to <0.53
345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <0.21
Geosmin	parts per trillion	no guideline	1.83	<1.10 to 4.30
IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <0.21
IPMP - 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine	parts per trillion	no guideline	<0.19	<0.19 to <0.21
Dichloromethane	parts per million	no more than 0.05	<0.0050	<0.0050 to 0.0050
MIB - 2-methylisoborneol	parts per trillion	no guideline	<9.71	<9.71 to 14.50
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether	parts per million	no more than 0.015 *	<0.0030	<0.0005 to <0.0030
NDMA -N-nitrosodimethylamine	parts per trillion	no more than 40	<0.0090	<0.0010 to <0.0090
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	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
2,4,5-TP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
2,4-D	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
2,4-DB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
2,4-DP	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
Bromoxynil	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
Dicamba	parts per billion	no more than 120	<0.006	<0.006 to <0.018
Dinoseb	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
MCPA	parts per billion	no more than 100	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
MCPB	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.050
Mecoprop	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
Picloram	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.50	<0.50 to <0.50
Pesticides
Alachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Aldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
alpha-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
alpha-Chlordane	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
alpha-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Atrazine	parts per billion	no more than 5	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Azinphos-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
beta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
beta-Endosulfan	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
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
Chlorothalonil	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.050	<0.050 to <0.100
Chlorpyrifos	parts per billion	no more than 90	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0050
delta-BHC	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Diazinon	parts per billion	no more than 20	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0050
Diclofop-methyl	parts per billion	no more than 9	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Dieldrin	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
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	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
Heptachlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Heptachlor Epoxide	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Lindane (gamma-BHC)	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
Malathion	parts per billion	no more than 190	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Methoxychlor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
Methyl Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.10	<0.10 to <0.10
Metribuzin	parts per billion	no more than 80	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Mirex	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.030
o,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
o,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
o,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDD	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.010
p,p-DDE	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
p,p-DDT	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.010	<0.010 to <0.020
Parathion	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.0130	<0.0130 to <0.0130
Propaclor	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.20
Propanil	parts per billion	no guideline	<0.20	<0.20 to <0.50
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	<0.030	<0.030 to <0.030
Total Metals
Aluminum	parts per million	no guideline	0.00563	0.00287 to 0.01026
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	0.000056	<0.000025 to 0.000359
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	0.000323	0.000100 to 0.000429
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	0.00491	<0.00208 to 0.01373
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.007	<0.000007	<0.000007 to 0.000015
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	20.776	18.192 to 24.246
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	<0.00004	<0.00004 to 0.00009
Chromium VI	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00050	<0.00050 to <0.00050
Copper	parts per million	no more than 2.0	0.000461	<0.000022 to 0.002832
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.3 *	0.05230	0.02459 to 0.11805
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.005	<0.000065	<0.000065 to <0.000065
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	6.321	5.421 to 7.059
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.12	0.00858	0.00421 to 0.01665
Mercury	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.0050	<0.00050 to <0.0050
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	0.002549	0.001782 to 0.003781
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	1.237	1.031 to 1.458
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	30.019	25.742 to 35.453
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	<0.000032	<0.000032 to 0.000050
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	0.00114	<0.00011 to 0.00243

* 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