The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant supplies potable water to the City of Moose Jaw.  The Annual report contains water quality data of the water that is pumped to the City of Moose Jaw.  It can be viewed at the following:

https://www.buffalopoundwtp.ca/publications/annual-report

Chlorine Residuals and Turbidity

The City of Moose Jaw operates its water system under provincial government legislation called the “The Water Regulations 2002”.  One of the many requirements of this legislation is that prescribed minimum levels (residuals) of chlorine must be continuously maintained throughout the entire water distribution system.  These levels of chlorine ensure that the water is disinfected which makes it much safer for human consumption.  When chlorine is added to water it reacts to form two types of powerful disinfectants.  These are known as “free residual chlorine” and “total residual chlorine”.  The Water Regulations stipulate that a minimum of either 0.10 mg/l of free residual or 0.50 mg/l of total residual must be maintained continuously.  Any breach of these requirements must be immediately reported to The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment (SE).

Turbidity may be defined as a measure of fine suspended matter in water, reported in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) determined by measurements of light diffraction.  Water leaving the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant must meet Saskatchewan’s drinking water quality standards and objectives before it is sent to the distribution system.  Turbidity in the distribution system is sampled for aesthetic objective purposes.

Chlorine residuals and turbidity are monitored daily at each of the three pumping stations which supply the distribution system.  The following table summarizes the chlorine and turbidity results for 2022.

Table 1 - Reservoir Chlorine and Turbidity Samples

Bacteriological Tests

Water quality data presented below has been compiled from the results of laboratory testing done throughout the year.

Saskatchewan Environment (SE) requires the City of Moose Jaw to submit at least 8 samples every week for a total of 416 per year for bacteriological testing.  The samples are collected weekly at nine widely separated locations around the distribution system.  Testing is done by the Provincial Water Laboratory in Regina.  A ‘positive’ test is one in which the presence of either background bacteria in excess of 200 colonies per 100 millilitres, or any coliform bacteria or E-Coli is detected.  A positive test result requires an immediate repeat sample.  A ‘negative’ test result is one in which there is no coliform bacteria at all, no E-Coli and if any background bacteria are present there are less than 200 colonies per 100 ml.

Table 2 - Summary of Regular Bacteriological Testing

Trihalomethanes

Trihalomethanes are monitored on a quarterly basis and the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) result is expressed as an annual average of 4 quarterly samples.  The MAC limit is 100 ppb.  The City of Moose Jaw submitted 8 of the required 8 samples per year to the Provincial Laboratory resulting in an average of 42.8 ppb.

Haloacetic Acids

Haloacetic Acids are monitored on a quarterly basis and the MAC result is expressed as a running average of quarterly samples in 2022.  The MAC guideline is 80 ppb.  The City of Moose Jaw submitted the required 4 samples per year to the Provincial Laboratory resulting in an average of 30.3 ppb.

Fluoride

Currently the fluoride feeder at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant has failed and no fluoride was added in 2020. Distribution samples contained an average 0.40 mg/l of fluoride in Moose Jaw water. Health Canada has stated the "optimal" level is 0.7 mg/l. The Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) is 1.5 mg/l.

If more detailed water quality information is required or if you have any questions regarding the information presented, please contact the Engineering Department at (306) 694-4523.