2004 Winnipeg water quality test results
Winnipeg 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 and at the Deacon Reservoir outlet. We maintain an average free chlorine residual of between 0.3 and 0.4 milligrams per litre in the distribution system.
Testing
Winnipeg water is intensively monitored on a routine basis 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.
- We monitor chlorine at the places where it is added, and at 19 sites throughout the distribution system. Equipment is used to continuously monitor chlorine levels at the pumping stations and the distribution system levels are checked weekly from about the beginning of May to about the end of October, and every two weeks at other times.
- Microbiological samples are taken weekly at over 60 locations throughout the system. Tests are conducted for general bacteria and for coliform bacteria according to Provincial regulations.
We also test Winnipeg water for:
- routine water chemistry
- metals (analyzed both by us and the Province)
- disinfection by-products
We measure how water quality changes within the distribution system and the quality of water delivered to customers with these tests. We also respond to customer inquiries and complaints about water quality. Contact us for more information.
| What is being measured |
How it's measured |
Guideline or regulation |
Winnipeg average |
Winnipeg range |
Comments |
| Odour | odour number | inoffensive | 70 | 20 to 150 | Offensive to some customers at times |
| Geosmin | parts per trillion | no guideline | 10 | <1 to 50 | Common taste and odour compound |
| IPMP - 2- isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine | parts per trillion | no guideline | <2 | <2 | Common taste and odour compound |
| IBMP - 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine | parts per trillion | no guideline | <2 | <2 | Common taste and odour compound |
| MIB - 2-methylisoborneol | parts per trillion | no guideline | <10 | <2 to <10 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 246 TCA - 2,4,6-trichloroanisole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <2 | <2 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 236 TCA - 2,3,6-trichloroanisole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <2 | <2 | Common taste and odour compound |
| 345 TCV - 3,4,5-trichloroveratrole | parts per trillion | no guideline | <2 | <2 | Common taste and odour compound |
| Chlorophyll-a | parts per billion | no guideline | <1.0 | <1.0 to 1.0 | Chlorophyll is found in algae |
| Microcystin LR | parts per billion | no more than 1.5 | <0.2 | <0.2 | Meets the guideline |
| Turbidity (clearness) | units | no more than 1.0 | 0.53 | 0.30 to 3.70 | Does not always meet the guideline |
| Colour, True | units | no more than 15 | <5 | <5 | Meets the guideline |
| Total Dissolved Solids | parts per million | no more than 500 | 95 | 79 to 112 | Meets the guideline |
| Conductivity | microsiemens per centimetre | no guideline | 158 | 154 to 165 | Another measure of dissolved solids |
| pH | units | between 6.5 and 8.5 | 6.94 | 6.67 to 7.28 | Meets the guideline |
| Temperature | degrees Celsius | no more than 15 | 10.5 | 5.0 to 17.1 | Does not always meet the guideline |
| Total Alkalinity | parts per million as calcium carbonate | no guideline | 64 | 57 to 78 | - |
| Total Hardness | parts per million as calcium carbonate | no guideline | 72 | 69 to 78 | 80 to 100 parts per million is recommended |
| Total Organic Carbon | parts per million | no guideline | 8 | 7.0 to 8.7 | - |
| Total Inorganic Carbon | parts per million | no guideline | 15 | 13 to 18 | - |
| Fluoride | parts per million | no more than 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.76 to 0.84 | Meets the guideline |
| Nitrate | parts per million | no more than 10 | <0.01 | <0.01 | Meets the guideline |
| Phosphorus as orthophosphate | parts per million | no guideline | 1.91 | 1.81 to 2.18 | Added for lead control program |
| Chloride | parts per million | no more than 250 | 7.6 | 6.5 to 8.9 | Meets the guideline |
| Sulphate | parts per million | no more than 500 | 3 | 2.5 to 3.3 | Meets the guideline |
| Chlorine (combined) | parts per million | no more than 3 | 0.42 | 0.13 to 0.58 | Meets the guideline |
| Chlorine (free) | parts per million | no guideline | 0.45 | 0.08 to 0.77 | - |
| Trihalomethanes | parts per billion | no more than 100 | 83 a | 45 to 146 | Does not always meet the guideline |
| Haloacetic acids | parts per billion | no guideline | 93 a | 44 to 140 | Guideline under review by Health Canada |
| Calcium | parts per million | no guideline | 21 | 19.6 to 23.8 | Contributes to hardness |
| Magnesium | parts per million | no guideline | 5.66 | 5.00 to 6.20 | Contributes to hardness |
| Sodium | parts per million | no more than 200 | 1.92 | 1.70 to 2.20 | Meets the guideline |
| Potassium | parts per million | no guideline | 1.14 | 1.01 to 1.30 | - |
| Iron | parts per million | no more than 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.03 to 0.07 | Meets the guideline |
| Copper | parts per million | no more than 1.0 | 0.103 | 0.060 to 0.193 | Meets the guideline |
| Lead * | parts per million | no more than 0.010 | <0.001 | <0.001 | Meets the guideline |
| Aluminum | parts per million | no guideline | 0.004 | 0.002 to 0.006 | - |
| Arsenic | parts per million | no more than 0.025 | 0.0009 | 0.0008 to 0.0009 | Meets the guideline |
| Chromium | parts per million | no more than 0.05 | <0.0002 | <0.0002 to 0.0003 | Meets the guideline |
| Nickel | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0002 | <0.0002 to 0.0004 | - |
| Cadmium | parts per million | no more than 0.005 | <0.00004 | <0.00004 | Meets the guideline |
| Manganese | parts per million | no more than 0.05 | 0.008 | 0.004 to 0.020 | Meets the guideline |
| Zinc | parts per million | no more than 5.0 | 0.002 | <0.001 to 0.006 | Meets the guideline |
| Antimony | parts per million | no more than 0.006 | 0.0004 | 0.0003 to 0.0005 | Meets the guideline |
| Barium | parts per million | no more than 1.0 | 0.014 | 0.013 to 0.016 | Meets the guideline |
| Beryllium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0002 | <0.0002 | - |
| Bismuth | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0002 | <0.0002 | - |
| Boron | parts per million | no more than 5 | 0.01 | <0.01 to 0.01 | Meets the guideline |
| Cesium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | - |
| Cobalt | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0002 | <0.0002 | - |
| Lithium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0023 | 0.0020 to 0.0027 | - |
| Molybdenum | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | - |
| Rubidium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0014 | 0.0013 to 0.0016 | - |
| Selenium | parts per million | no more than 0.01 | <0.0002 | <0.0002 | Meets the guideline |
| Silicon | parts per million | no guideline | 0.51 | 0.37 to 0.69 | - |
| Silver | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00005 | <0.00002 to <0.00005 | - |
| Strontium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.035 | 0.033 to 0.038 | - |
| Tellurium | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0007 | <0.0002 to 0.0025 | - |
| Thallium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.00002 | <0.00002 | - |
| Thorium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | - |
| Tin | parts per million | no guideline | 0.0003 | <0.0002 to 0.0008 | - |
| Titanium | parts per million | no more than 0.02 | 0.0007 | 0.0006 to 0.0009 | Meets the guideline |
| Uranium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | - |
| Vanadium | parts per million | no guideline | <0.0002 | <0.0002 | - |
| Zirconium | parts per million | no more than 0.1 | <0.002 | <0.002 | Meets the guideline |
a The trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids data for 2004 are not representative of the full year due to 3 missed surveys and operational changes caused by construction at Deacon Reservior. This resulted in below normal average values for trihalomethanes and haloaceticacids.
* For more information on lead in drinking water, read our lead control program question and answer section.
| What is being measured | Guideline | Our test results | Comments |
| Number of total coliform bacteria tests done in year | 1820 samples | 3180 samples | More testing than required by the guideline/provincial regulation. |
| Number of times that total coliform bacteria show up in a test | no more than 320 positive total coliform tests per year | 30 positive test results | All locations with positive results were resampled for total coliform and fecal coliform testing. All resamples were negative and met the guideline/provincial regulation. |
| Number of times that more than 10 total coliform bacteria show up in a test | no more than 10 bacteria per sample | 3 samples with greater than 10 bacteria | The locations were resampled as per the guideline. All resamples were negative and met the guideline/ provincial regulation. |
| Number of heterotrophic (bacteria) plate count (HPC) tests done | no guideline | 3179 samples | - |
| Number of times that HPC counts are more than 500 colonies | no more than 500 bacteria per sample | 23 samples with bacteria count greater than 500 | Resamples for HPC were no more than 500 and met the guideline/ provincial regulation. |
Guidelines from 'Summary of Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality' by Health Canada, March 2001
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This page was last updated on April 15, 2024 |
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