2024 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, 2024

What is being measured	How it's measured	Guideline or regulation	No. of samples	Winnipeg average	Winnipeg range
Miscellaneous
Carbon,Dissolved Organic	parts per million	no guideline	53	5.0	2.4	13.6
Carbon, TotalOrganic	parts per million	no guideline	129	3.9	1.8	15.9
Chlorine, Free	parts per million	noguideline	3258	0.90	0.22	1.62
Chlorine,Total	parts per million	no guideline	3258	1.13	0.39	1.84
Colour,Apparent	TCU	no guideline	53	2.3	0.0	2.5
Colour, True	TCU	no more than 15 *	53	0.0	0.0	0.5
Conductivity	microsiemensper centimetre	no guideline	87	296	271	334
LangelierIndex (4 C)	units	no guideline	4	-0.88	-0.95	-0.82
LangelierIndex (60 C)	units	no guideline	4	-0.11	-0.18	-0.05
Odour	units	inoffensive*	265	11	6	20
ORP	millivolts	no guideline	137	588.4	434.6	691.3
Oxygen,Dissolved	parts per million	no guideline	473	11.4	8.1	16.9
pH	units	between 7.0 and 10.5	640	7.50	7.22	7.79
Solids, TotalDissolved	parts per million	no more than 500 *	57	159	115	191
Temperature	degrees Celcius	no more than 15 *	3305	11.6	1.9	25.3
Turbidity(clearness)	NTU	no guideline	3268	0.19	<0.10	6.2
UV Absorbance,Filtered	absorbance units	no guideline	4	0.027	0.016	0.032
UVTransmittance, Filtered	percenttransmissivity	no guideline	4	94.2	92.9	96.4
Anions and Nutrients
Alkalinity,Total	partsper million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	55	65.3	57.4	72.5
Alkalinity,Bicarbonate	parts per million	no guideline	4	64.4	57.4	69.5
Alkalinity,Carbonate	parts per million	no guideline	4	<1.0	<1.0	<1.0
Alkalinity,Hydroxide	parts per million	no guideline	4	<1.0	<1.0	<1.0
Hardness,Total	partsper million as calcium carbonate	no guideline	57	80.8	72.9	89.0
Ammonia	parts per million	no guideline	4	0.013	<0.005	0.023
Bromate	parts per million	no more than 0.01	4	<0.0003	<0.0003	0.0005
Bromide	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05
Chloride	parts per million	no more than 250 *	56	4.2	3.7	5.6
Fluoride	parts per million	no more than 1.5	163	0.65	0.54	0.80
NitrateNitrogen	parts per million	no more than 10	4	0.018	0.007	0.033
Nitrite	parts per million	no more than 3	4	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
Phosphate, Soluble	partsper million as phosphate	no guideline	299	1.92	1.36	2.92
Phosphorus,Total	parts per million	no guideline	4	0.669	0.628	0.757
Sulphate	parts per million	no more than 500 *	56	63.7	46.6	74.8
Bacteria
EscherichiaColi	MPN per 100 mL	nonedetectable per 100 mL	3146	<1	<1	<1
TotalColiforms	MPN per 100 mL	nonedetectable per 100 mL	3146	<1	<1	1
HeterotrophicPlate Count	CFU per mL	no guideline	2196	1	<1	191
DisinfectionBy-Products
BDCM	parts per billion	no guideline	132	3.2	1.5	4.9
Haloaceticacids	parts per billion	no more than 80	142	29.3	12.7	43.6
Trihalomethanes	parts per billion	no more than 100	132	36.2	14.7	65.3
Metals, Total
Aluminum	parts per million	no more than 2.9	187	0.0049	<0.0030	0.0264
Antimony	parts per million	no more than 0.006	188	0.000069	<0.000025	0.000360
Arsenic	parts per million	no more than 0.010	188	0.000368	0.000310	0.000501
Barium	parts per million	no more than 2	4	0.0142	0.0136	0.0147
Beryllium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00002	<0.00002	<0.00002
Bismuth	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.000050	<0.000050	<0.000050
Boron	parts per million	no more than 5	188	0.011	0.009	0.018
Cadmium	parts per million	no more than 0.007	188	<0.000005	<0.000005	0.000038
Calcium	parts per million	no guideline	188	21.220	17.528	24.126
Cesium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.000010	<0.000010	<0.000010
Chromium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	177	0.00006	<0.00004	0.00037
Chromium VI	parts per million	no guideline	44	<0.00050	<0.00050	0.00116
Cobalt	parts per million	no guideline	4	0.00163	0.00140	0.00181
Copper	parts per million	no more than 2.0	188	0.035469	0.000201	0.153550
Iron	parts per million	no more than 0.1 *	199	0.06523	0.02064	0.35802
Lead	parts per million	no more than 0.005	188	0.000072	<0.000050	0.001212
Lithium	parts per million	no guideline	4	0.0020	0.0012	0.0024
Magnesium	parts per million	no guideline	188	6.376	5.297	7.422
Manganese	parts per million	no more than 0.12	199	0.01114	0.00559	0.05559
Mercury	parts per million	no more than 0.001	44	<0.0000050	<0.0000050	<0.0000050
Molybdenum	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.000050	<0.000050	<0.000050
Nickel	parts per million	no guideline	177	0.002878	0.002138	0.006549
Potassium	parts per million	no guideline	188	1.224	1.009	1.472
Rubidium	parts per million	no guideline	4	0.0017	0.0016	0.0018
Selenium	parts per million	no more than 0.05	4	<0.000050	<0.000050	0.000060
Silicon	parts per million	no guideline	4	2.10	1.74	2.63
Silver	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.000010	<0.000010	<0.000010
Sodium	parts per million	no more than 200 *	188	29.657	25.086	34.405
Strontium	parts per million	no more than 7	4	0.0385	0.0374	0.0408
Sulfur	parts per million	no guideline	4	22.3	21.7	23.5
Tellurium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00020	<0.00020	<0.00020
Thallium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.000010	<0.000010	<0.000010
Thorium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00010	<0.00010	<0.00010
Tin	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00010	<0.00010	0.00016
Titanium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00030	<0.00030	<0.00030
Tungsten	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00010	<0.00010	<0.00010
Uranium	parts per million	no more than 0.02	188	0.000039	<0.000010	0.000187
Vanadium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00050	<0.00050	<0.00050
Zinc	parts per million	no more than 5.0 *	188	0.0032	0.0002	0.0247
Zirconium	parts per million	no guideline	4	<0.00020	<0.00020	<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, March 2025

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	3,146
Number of times that total coliform bacteria show up in a test	none detectable per 100 mL	0.03%   (1 positive test)	All resamples were negative and met the operating licence requirements.
Number of Escherichia coli bacteria tests in year	2028 samples/year	3,146
Number of times that Escherichia coli bacteria show up in a test	none detectable per 100 mL	0.00%   (0 positive tests)
Number of heterotrophic (bacteria) plate count (HPC) tests done	no requirement	2,196	Heterotrophic plate count testing is not required under the operating licence

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

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