Limits taken from Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality - Summary Table (published by Health Canada in collaboration with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Health and the Environment).
Abbreviations: GCDQW, Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality; AO, aesthetic objective (not a health related objective); MAC, maximum acceptable concentration; CFU, colony-forming units; NTU, nephelometric turbidity units; TCU, true colour units.
| Heading | Description |
|---|---|
| Station Description | Station code, location, and sampling point of collection. |
| Date | Date of sample collection. |
| Time | Time of sample collection (24 h). |
| Water Temp (°C) | Temperature of water sample when collected (AO = 15°C, GCDWQ). |
| Total CL2 Res (mg/L) | Total chlorine residual (disinfectant) in the water sample when collected. Typically this will be stable at a particular sampling point. |
| Total Coliforms (CFU/100 mL) | Number of total coliform bacteria per 100 mL of sample. MAC = none detectable/100 mL of water sample (this is typically reported as <1 CFU/100 mL but may also be seen as 0 CFU/100 mL). |
| E. coli (CFU/100 mL) | Number of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria per 100 mL of sample. MAC = none detectable/100 mL of water sample (this is typically reported as <1 CFU/100 mL but may also be seen as 0 CFU/100 mL). |
| Turbidity (NTU) | Turbidity (“cloudiness”) is recommended to be <1 NTU in water entering a distribution system (GCDWQ). |
| Colour, True (TCU) | Colour in the water; may be due to coloured inorganic materials such as iron, manganese, and copper or organic materials such as tannins and lignins (AO = 15 TCU, GCDWQ). |
| HPC Bacteria (CFU/mL) | Heterotrophic plate count bacteria, used for monitoring general bacteriological quality through treatment process and in distribution system. Not used as an indicator of water safety; no recommended water quality limit. |
Total Microcystin: Present & Absent Disclaimer
The total microcystin data provided above is limited to water samples collected at each CRD water system treatment plant intake and does not necessarily reflect water quality conditions in other areas of the water body. Raw water quality conditions can vary in different areas and at different depths of the lake. Therefore it should not be assumed that an Absent result above indicates that the water body is entirely free of microcystins. The CRD does not assume any liability to or on behalf of those who use this data, and does not make any representations or warranties on the accuracy or completeness of the data provided.
Contact Us
Drinking Water Quality
Phone: 250.474.9600 (Option #6)
drinkingwater@crd.bc.ca
