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