2023 Winnipeg distribution system water quality test results

The Winnipeg distribution system is the last location where we add chlorine to the water - at the outlet from each of the three pumping stations. The other locations are at the Shoal Lake intake on a periodic basis and at the Water Treatment Plant.

Our Operating Licence requires that we maintain a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.1 milligrams per litre throughout the distribution system.

Testing

Winnipeg water is intensively monitored on a routine basis at Shoal Lake, before it enters the Water Treatment Plant and after the water has passed through the treatment processes to ensure that the water is safe and that regulatory requirements are met. Because water quality is so important, our level of monitoring and sampling exceeds Provincial regulatory requirements.

• Equipment is used to continuously monitor chlorine levels at the pumping stations and we test the chlorine levels at 60 locations throughout the distribution system on a weekly basis.
• Microbiological samples are taken weekly at 60 locations throughout the distribution system. Tests are conducted for Escherichia coli and total coliform bacteria according to Provincial regulations, and we also test for Heterotrophic plate count which is not required under Provincial regulations, but can be useful to identify potential problem areas within the distribution system.

We also test Winnipeg distribution system water for:

• routine water chemistry
• metals
• disinfection by-products

We use these test results to monitor water quality changes within the distribution system and the quality of water delivered to customers. We also respond to customer inquiries and complaints about water quality. Contact us for more information.

Test results are from January 1 to December 31, 2023

What is being measured	How it's measured	Guideline or regulation	Winnipeg average	Winnipeg range
Miscellaneous
Carbon, Dissolved Organic	parts per million	no guideline	6.3	2.6 to 16.9
Carbon, Total Organic	parts per million	no guideline	4.9	2.2 to 17.1
Chlorine, Free	parts per million	no guideline	0.88	0.02 to 3.50
Chlorine, Total	parts per million	no guideline	1.11	0.07 to 3.70
Colour, Apparent	TCU	no guideline	1.7	0.0 to 5.0
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	0.4	0.0 to <5.0
Conductivity	microsiemens per centimetre	no guideline	302	275 to 336
Langelier Index (4 C)	units	no guideline	-0.65	-0.83 to -0.51
Langelier Index (60 C)	units	no guideline	0.12	-0.06 to 0.26
Odour	units	inoffensive *	11	6 to 20
ORP	millivolts	no guideline	602.2	441.6 to 687.8
Oxygen, Dissolved	parts per million	no guideline	10.9	7.4 to 15.1
pH	units	between 7.0 and 10.5	7.52	6.73 to 7.99
Solids, Total Dissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	168	129 to 226
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	11.2	1.8 to 24.2
Turbidity (clearness)	NTU	no guideline	0.22	<0.10 to 9.1
UV Transmittance, Filtered	percent transmissivity	no guideline	93.8	93.0 to 95.0
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	67.1	56.7 to 80.5
Alkalinity, Bicarbonate	parts per million	no guideline	73.0	58.8 to 93.8
Alkalinity, Carbonate	parts per million	no guideline	<0.60	<0.60 to <1.0
Alkalinity, Hydroxide	parts per million	no guideline	<0.34	<0.34 to <1.0
Hardness, Total	parts per million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	82.0	73.2 to 93.2
Ammonia	parts per million	no guideline	<0.01	<0.01 to <0.01
Bromate	parts per million	no more than 0.01	<0.0003	<0.0003 to <0.0003
Bromide	parts per million	no guideline	<0.05	<0.01 to <0.05
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	5.0	3.7 to 6.7
Fluoride	parts per million	no more than 1.5	0.60	0.07 to 0.81
Nitrate Nitrogen	parts per million	no more than 10	0.039	0.012 to 0.074
Nitrite	parts per million	no more than 3	<0.005	<0.001 to <0.005
Phosphate, Soluble	parts per million as phosphate	no guideline	1.82	<0.04 to 4.84
Phosphorus,Total	parts per million	no guideline	0.707	0.654 to 0.777
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	60.7	51.1 to 71.2
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	<1	<1 to 90
Disinfection By-Products
Haloacetic acids	parts per billion	no more than 80	33.3	11.5 to 62.2
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	44.4	12.2 to 76.0
Total Metals
Aluminum	parts per million	no guideline	0.00544	0.00222 to 0.02144
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	0.000133	<0.000025 to 0.001156
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	0.000364	0.000227 to 0.000520
Barium	parts per million	no more than 2	0.0155	0.0142 to 0.0182
Beryllium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00010	<0.00002 to <0.00010
Bismuth	parts per million	no guideline	<0.000050	<0.000050 to <0.000050
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	0.012	<0.010 to 0.021
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.007	<0.000005	<0.000005 to 0.000023
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	21.154	17.025 to 25.938
Cesium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.000010	<0.000010 to <0.000010
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	0.00006	<0.00004 to 0.00045
Chromium VI	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00050	<0.00050 to 0.00147
Cobalt	parts per million	no guideline	0.00133	0.00080 to 0.00170
Copper	parts per million	no more than 2.0	0.035970	0.000159 to 0.167470
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.3 *	0.07855	0.02197 to 1.79340
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.005	0.000072	<0.000050 to 0.000290
Lithium	parts per million	no guideline	0.0024	0.0016 to 0.0029
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	6.252	5.072 to 7.420
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.12	0.01038	0.00347 to 0.16325
Mercury	parts per billion	no more than 1	<0.0050	<0.0050 to <0.0050
Molybdenum	parts per million	no guideline	<0.000050	<0.000050 to <0.000050
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	0.002475	0.001406 to 0.004939
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	1.256	0.988 to 1.566
Rubidium	parts per million	no guideline	0.0018	0.0016 to 0.0020
Selenium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	<0.000050	<0.000050 to 0.000091
Silicon	parts per million	no guideline	2.10	0.66 to 3.71
Silver	parts per million	no guideline	<0.000010	<0.000010 to <0.000010
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	29.484	24.481 to 35.628
Strontium	parts per million	no more than 7	0.0412	0.0375 to 0.0448
Tellurium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00020	<0.00020 to <0.00020
Thallium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.000010	<0.000010 to <0.000010
Thorium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00010	<0.00010 to <0.00010
Tin	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00010	<0.00010 to 0.00015
Titanium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00030	<0.00030 to <0.00030
Tungsten	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00010	<0.00010 to <0.00010
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	0.000058	<0.000010 to 0.000264
Vanadium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00050	<0.00050 to <0.00050
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	0.0034	0.0002 to 0.0307
Zirconium	parts per million	no guideline	<0.00020	<0.00020 to <0.00020

* Aesthetic objective: These guidelines have an objective and not a maximum acceptable concentration. 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 do not meet the guideline.

Data reported was collected from a combination of MacLean, Hurst, and McPhillips Pumping Station Discharges, 57 distribution system locations (39 distribution system locations January-March), and/or Branch I at McPhillips and Branch II at Hurst.

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

Bacterial testing

What is being measured	Requirement	Our test results	Comments
Number of total coliform bacteria tests in year	2028 samples/year	3,118
Number of times that total coliform bacteria show up in a test	none detectable per 100 mL	0.10% (3 positive tests)	All resamples were negative and met the operating licence requirements.
Number of Escherichia coli bacteria tests in year	2028 samples/year	3,118
Number of times that Escherichia coli bacteria show up in a test	none detectable per 100 mL	0.00% (0 positive test)
Number of heterotrophic (bacteria) plate count (HPC) tests done	no requirement	2,170	Heterotrophic plate count testing is not required under the operating licence

Requirements from City of Winnipeg Operating Licence PWS-09-412-02 A

Data reported was collected from 57 distribution system locations and MacLean, Hurst, and McPhillips Pumping Station Discharges