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Winnipeg's drinking water quality
This water quality report:

• describes the actions that we take to ensure safe, high-quality drinking water
• provides information about the quality of our drinking water
• outlines our plan for a water treatment plant that will make our water even safer to drink, and will also improve the appearance, taste and smell of our water

Where does our water come from?
We get our drinking water from Shoal Lake, which is located on the border between Manitoba and Ontario. Shoal Lake was chosen as the best source of water supply for our city in 1912, and that is still true today.

• Water flows from Shoal Lake to Winnipeg by gravity through a 135 kilometre long aqueduct (concrete pipe).
• The water is stored in Deacon Reservoir, a large reservoir that can hold 8.8 billion litres, enough water to supply Winnipeg for about 20 days.
• Water passes from Deacon Reservoir to three smaller reservoirs and pumping stations in different areas of the city.
• Each day, we deliver an average of 215 million litres of water to approximately 270,000 Winnipeg homes and businesses.

	Since we began using Shoal Lake as our water supply in 1919, we have not had an outbreak of waterborne disease.

What steps do we take to keep our water safe?
We perform the following activities to ensure Shoal Lake continues to be a good source of water for Winnipeg.

• We work with the First Nation communities in the Shoal Lake area, the federal government and the provincial governments of Manitoba and Ontario to make sure that development in the area does not affect water quality.
• We rigorously test the water in our nationally accredited laboratory.
  • Staff use approved test methods and have backgrounds in science, such as chemistry and engineering.
• We disinfect the water with ultraviolet light to protect against waterborne parasites, such as Cryptosporidium (crip-toe-spor-ID-ee-um).
• We also disinfect with chlorine to kill harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and other micro-organisms.
  • Chlorine is the most widely used drinking water disinfectant in North America, and has been used for more than a hundred years.
  • We add chlorine at three different places before the water reaches your home or business:
    • Shoal Lake
    • Deacon Reservoir
    • the pumping station that serves your neighbourhood
  • We maintain an adequate chlorine level at every customer tap to ensure the safety of the water and to meet provincial regulations.

Is anything other than chlorine added to the water?
Yes. We add orthophosphate and fluoride to the water.

• We add orthophosphate to form a protective coating inside water pipes. This coating helps reduce corrosion that may add lead to tap water. Lead enters drinking water mainly as a result of the gradual wearing away of plumbing materials that contain lead. These include lead service pipes that carry water from water mains to older buildings. We started this lead control program in June 2000.

We add orthophosphate in small amounts in the form of food-grade phosphoric acid, which is found in many popular food products, such as soft drinks. You would need to drink more than 100 glasses of tap water to get the same amount of phosphoric acid that you would get in one glass of most colas.

• We add fluoride according to the Provincial Fluoridation Program guidelines at a level that helps prevent tooth decay and won't harm health.

  Many health-related organizations, such as the Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Medical Association and the World Health Organization, recommend adding fluoride to drinking water.

What tests do we do to ensure water quality?
We test our water each step of the way, from Shoal Lake to the tap. Our testing program includes over 46 different types of tests at over 70 different places throughout the year.

• We test for chlorine at the three pumping stations in the city, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We test the chlorine levels at other places, such as water mains, every week from spring to fall and every two weeks at other times.
• We take weekly samples for bacteria at over 60 places throughout the system and test them according to provincial regulations. Each year, we test more than 3,100 water samples for bacteria – this is 70% more than required. Test results for our water have always been within the acceptable range for bacteria. A nationally accredited laboratory conducts the bacteria tests.
• We test at least monthly for the microscopic parasites, Cryptosporidium and Giardia (GEE-ar-dee-ah), even though there is no requirement for this type of testing. These parasites are found in most rivers and lakes. A nationally accredited laboratory recognized internationally as expert in the study of parasites tests our water samples for Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
• We regularly test tap water for lead to make sure that the lead control program is effective.
• We send test results to the Province.
• We immediately report results that might affect public health to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Medical Officer of Health.

Because water quality is so important, we do more testing than the provincial government requires.

Is drinking water quality regulated?
Yes. Manitoba Health and Manitoba Water Stewardship regulate the quality of our drinking water using the:

• Manitoba Drinking Water Safety Act
• Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality
  • The guidelines, published by Health Canada, recommend limits for substances and conditions affecting drinking water quality.
  • A panel of experts, including a representative from our province, keeps these guidelines up-to-date.

Do we meet the Canadian drinking water quality guidelines?
Yes, most of them. There are more than 80 guidelines for drinking water quality. Winnipeg supplies good quality drinking water, and usually meets these guidelines. However, we are not always able to meet the guidelines for turbidity, odour and trihalomethanes (TRY-hal-oh-meth-aynes).

• Turbidity measures the clearness of the water.
  • Although on average, Winnipeg's water meets the Canadian guideline, at some places the levels do not meet the guideline for short periods of time.
  • High turbidity levels may give the water an unpleasant appearance, and can reduce the effectiveness of chlorine.
• Odour is hard to measure in water.
  • One person may notice a 'smell'; another may not.
  • The Canadian guideline for odour is 'inoffensive'.
  • In the summer and fall, when there are higher amounts of algae in our water, some people find the smell of the water offensive.
  • Although the smell may be unpleasant, you can continue to use the water.
• Trihalomethanes (THMs)
• TMHs are formed when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter (e.g., vegetation) in the water.
• Several research studies show a possible link between high levels of THMs and cancer.
• High levels of THMs may also have an effect on pregnancy.
• Although, so far, there is no conclusive evidence that THMs have a serious effect on our health, water suppliers are trying to keep THMs as low as possible.
• On average, the THM levels in Winnipeg's water are just slightly above the Canadian guideline, and we are taking steps to reduce them.
• Some home water treatment devices can reduce THMs. Look for filters with either of the following certifications on their labels:
  • ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for reduction of trihalomethanes
  • ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Drinking water is disinfected with chlorine to kill bacteria and viruses that can cause serious illness and death. The chlorination of drinking water has virtually eliminated typhoid fever, cholera and many other waterborne diseases from the western world. Without adequate disinfection, the health risks from micro-organisms far outweigh the risks from THMs.

What are we doing to improve water quality?
Here is an update on our activities:

• In mid-2009, we will finish building a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant. It will include several treatment processes, including ozonation, filtration and dissolved air flotation, which will allow us to:
  • further reduce the risk of waterborne disease
  • reduce levels of disinfection by-products
  • meet all the drinking water quality guidelines
  • improve the taste, odour and appearance of our drinking water
• We completed a six-year program in 2008 in which all 2,400 kilometres of water mains were flushed clean in preparation to carry treated water from our new water treatment plant.

Additional drinking water quality information

• Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about our drinking water
• Water supply system annual report
• Annual Winnipeg drinking water quality compliance and customer reports archive