Water treatment program
Drinking water quality
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Winnipeg's drinking water –
From Shoal Lake to your tap
Winnipeg's drinking water:
- comes from Shoal Lake,
- flows through the aqueduct,
- is stored at Deacon Reservoir,
- goes through the new water treatment plant
- is exposed to ultraviolet light disinfection,
- has fluoride and orthophosphate added to it and then,
- is delivered to your tap.
Shoal Lake
Shoal Lake is a large isolated lake in the southeast corner of Manitoba, at the Manitoba-Ontario border. It is 137 kilometres (86 miles) from Winnipeg and about 92 metres (300 feet) higher.
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Aqueduct
Because Shoal Lake is higher than Winnipeg, water flows downhill all the way through the aqueduct. The aqueduct is a large concrete pipe that was built to carry the water. Construction started in 1915 and was completed in 1919. It cost 17 million dollars at the time and can carry 386 million litres, or 85 million gallons, of water per day.
Deacon Reservoir
Before it is treated, water from Shoal Lake is stored in Deacon Reservoir. The reservoir is on the east side of the Winnipeg floodway, a few kilometres south of highway 15. The reservoir was named after Thomas R. Deacon, the mayor of Winnipeg in 1913 who promoted the Shoal Lake project.
Water is stored at Deacon Reservoir to handle peak summer demands for water and to allow brief shutdowns of the aqueduct for maintenance. There are four reservoirs at the Deacon site that hold 8.8 billion litres of water, or 1.93 billion gallons. The water travels from the reservoirs into the plant for treatment.
Water treatment plant
The new water treatment plant is at the Deacon Reservoir and is about the size of the MTS Centre. The plant is a state-of-the-art, modern facility designed for performance, safety, and environmental sustainability. As water passes through, it goes through many treatment processes.
Ultraviolet light disinfection
Water treatment protects public health by:
It also improves the taste and odour of the drinking water. |
- After the treatment plant processes, the water is exposed to ultraviolet light. Any remaining waterborne micro-organisms such as Crytosporidium and Giardia are made harmless by the light.
- Fluoride is added to the water to help prevent tooth decay.
- Orthophosphate is added to prevent lead from old pipes leeching into the water.
To your tap
The water then travels from the water treatment plant through the distribution system, including three regional reservoirs, pumping stations, feeder mains, and a network of water mains and plumbing pipes that connect to your tap.
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This page was last updated on December 9, 2009 |
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