Safe and Clean Drinking Water

Extensive water quality testing

We work around the clock to make sure your drinking water is safe and clean.

Throughout the water treatment process, your drinking water takes 7 to 15 hours to be clarified, filtered and disinfected. Our water quality testing lab tests and adjusts for more than 300 parameters so we can provide you with the best drinking water for safety, color, smell and taste. Our drinking water meets or exceeds all of the requirements set by provincial standards and Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

Edmonton has been a Canadian leader in drinking water quality for decades. In 2019, the American Water Works Association named Edmonton's drinking water the best tasting in North America.

More about water quality

Lead in drinking water

There are no measurable levels of lead in drinking water when it leaves our water treatment plants. But lead may be found in tap water for those homes with lead pipes or if there are lead plumbing components or fixtures inside your home.

More than 98% of homes in Edmonton have water lines made of other materials like copper, iron or plastic. About 4,400 homes built before 1960 still have lead service lines, as it was a material available to homebuilders at that time. With our Lead Management Program, we're working with homeowners to remove lead service lines.

Water is safe to drink during spring runoff

Water is safe to drink during spring runoff. Our water quality specialists do increased monitoring and testing of the water throughout the treatment process to ensure it is clean, safe and pleasant to drink.

Spring runoff defined

As snow melts and flows into the North Saskatchewan River, it brings with it large quantities of sediment containing decomposing vegetation and other organic materials washed off the land.

During spring runoff, sediment, vegetation and other organic materials give the water a musty or earthy smell. We prepare for spring runoff in advance by adjusting our treatment process to neutralize odours; however, you may still notice a temporary change in the smell or taste of the drinking water.

We adjust the treatment process during spring runoff

The timing of spring runoff depends on the weather and temperature. While we don't know exactly when spring runoff will occur each year, we're always prepared for when it does. We adjust our water treatment process by adding powdered activated carbon in the first stage of water treatment. The activated carbon helps remove odour-causing compounds and is then removed by sedimentation.

Other than a slight odour or taste during spring runoff, you shouldn't notice any changes to your water's appearance. If you do, or you notice a change you think is unrelated to spring runoff, please contact us at (780) 412-6800.

Chlorine during spring runoff

Our water treatment processes use chlorine year-round to destroy harmful bacteria and other microbes.

During spring runoff, organic materials react with the chlorine, and this can create a chlorinous smell. While we increase the chlorine used in the treatment process during spring runoff, some of it is consumed by the reactions with organic material before the water enters the distribution system, so that the amount of chlorine in the drinking water remains unchanged.

You sniffed, we delivered

Each year, we recruit a panel of customer volunteers to participate in our Home Water Sniffing Program. This program is one way we get customer feedback about changes in taste and odour during spring runoff. Participants smell their tap water twice a day and enter their impressions into an anonymous online survey.

The results: In 2018, 92.8% of our home sniffers favourably assessed their drinking water odour during spring runoff.

How you can maintain good water quality

Adding lemon slices to your water is a great way to neutralize any odour along with store-bought carbon filters.

Here are some of our other recommendations:

Run the cold water tap for at least 3 minutes (or until the water feels cold) in the morning and any other time when the water hasn't been used in 6 or more hours.
Never use water from hot water taps for drinking, eating, cooking or baking. Instead, use cold tap water and heat it up.
If you're using a device to filter your tap water, remember to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for replacing and conditioning the filter cartridges.

We consistently meet and out-perform all water quality requirements set by provincial standards and Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

Source water enters our water treatment plant, where it's then:

Clarified
Filtered
Disinfected
Continually tested for water quality

How to maintain good water quality at home

Run the cold water tap for at least three minutes in the morning and any other time when the water hasn't been used in 6 or more hours.
Never use water from hot water taps for drinking, eating, cooking or baking. Take cold tap water and then heat it up.
If you're using a device to filter your tap water, remember to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for replacing and conditioning the filter cartridges.