ANNUAL PROGRAM TO TEST FOR LEAD IN DRINKING WATER

The City of Portage la Prairie will be conducting its annual program to test for possible lead in drinking water at the taps in residential homes. We are required to sample 40 residential locations for Random Daytime lead water sampling and reporting. This is required by the Office of Drinking Water, jointly with Manitoba Public Health, for cities in Manitoba with populations over 10,000, and in addition to the City’s current self-administered lead and metals testing program.

This project was first launched in 2022 when a call was put out for homeowner volunteers. The City received an overwhelming response with more than 100 homeowners interested in volunteering. Homeowners that signed up in 2022 but were not chosen, will be contacted for sampling in 2023.

Test kits are supplied by the City and City staff can assist with sampling as required. If you are interested in having your home included in the list of potential sampling locations, please call the Operations Department at 204239-8346. Any additional questions regarding the lead monitoring program can be directed to Water Treatment Division Manager Jared Smith by email at jared.smith@ city-plap.com or at 204-239-8373.

It is important to note that the amount of lead in natural water sources in Manitoba is very low and not a major contributor to the lead levels in tap water. The current National Drinking Water Guideline and the Provincial standard require lead concentration in potable water to be below 0.005 milligrams per litre. Water from the City of Portage la Prairie’s Water Treatment Plant meets the lead limit guidelines.

Lead can enter drinking water from service lines connecting a home to the water main and from home plumbing fixtures through corrosion. Lead levels can increase with the amount of time that the water sits in contact with materials containing lead. To reduce corrosion and the potential for elevated lead levels in drinking water at homes that may have lead services, the City increases the pH in the water as it leaves the treatment plant. This helps to keep the water from becoming acidic and thereby reduces the corrosivity of the water.

Visit the City’s website at https://www.city-plap.com/ cityplap/departments/operations/water-sewer/ for more information on lead in drinking water, the City’s mitigation strategy, and the lead subsidy program.