Boil water advisory for St. Vital lifted

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has lifted a boil water advisory in a section of St. Vital.

“Results received today are negative for bacteria in all the water samples retested yesterday in the localized area of southeast Winnipeg under a precautionary boil water advisory. This confirms that the water meets all health and safety water quality regulations and guidelines,” the city said in a news release early Wednesday evening.

Earlier Wednesday, the city’s manager of environmental standards said he was confident tests that showed contamination in Winnipeg tap water were false positives.

A large part of St. Vital was placed under a boil water advisory late Tuesday.

People using tap water in the area south of Bishop Grandin Boulevard between the Red and Seine Rivers and north of the Perimeter were advised to boil their water as a precautionary measure before drinking or cooking with it. Bacteria was found in water samples taken on Monday.

The source of the bacteria hasn’t been identified, but officials from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said the positive result could be due to a sampling error.

Kelly Kjartanson, the City of Winnipeg manager of environmental standards, said Wednesday morning that the water at 39 locations is tested every Monday. This week, there were four positives for coliform, which he explained is dirt — three in St. Vital and one in the southwest. The water was tested further and two of the St. Vital samples contained E. coli, which can come from fecal matter, he said.

“Just because the bacteria results were positive doesn’t mean the water isn’t safe,” said Kjartanson, adding he was confident the tests were false positives.

The tests also returned high chlorine numbers, Kjartanson said.

“Any microbiologist will tell you if the chlorine is high, the bacteria should be killed. That’s why in our mind these are false positives.”

Mayor Sam Katz said typically a second test is done before an advisory is issued.

“This was a provincial call. They made very sure it was precautionary. The normal protocol which has always happened in the past is to wait for a second test and then make the decision. In this instance they chose not to, and I can see why.”

There’s no correlation between the results and brown water coming from Winnipeg taps, he also said.

Restaurants and schools made adjustments to adhere to the advisory guidelines.

Restaurants informed customers that certain drinks were no longer available and schools made bottled water available.

Louis Riel School Division assistant superintendant Chris Michalik said schools were provided with bottled water for students. Drinking fountains were shut down and child-care programs and cafeterias were using the bottled water, he said.

Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, Darwin School, Minnetonka School, Samuel Burland School, George McDowell School, École St. Germain, Dr. D. W. Penner, H.S. Paul School, École Julie-Riel, Victor H. L. Wyatt School and Highbury School were all affected by the advisory.

Smitty’s and McDonalds restaurants in St. Vital had notices advising customers that some drinks are not available due to the advisory.

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The city advised the public that until further notice, all tap water in the affected area should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute before it was used for:

• Drinking and ice making,
• Preparing beverages (particularly infant formula),
• Preparing food, and
• Brushing teeth.

“Positive test results do happen from time to time, but have always retested negative,” a news release from the city said.

The samples that contained the bacteria were collected Monday as part of routine compliance testing required by the water licence issued by the province.

Water that is used for other purposes, such as laundry or washing dishes, doesn’t have to be boiled, the city said. Adults and older children who can avoid swallowing water can wash, bathe or shower, but young children who might swallow water should be sponge bathed.

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Full text of the city news release:

Winnipeg, MB –Results received today are negative for bacteria in all the water samples retested yesterday in the localized area of southeast Winnipeg under a precautionary Boil Water Advisory.  This confirms that the water meets all health and safety water quality regulations and guidelines.

 The Medical Officer of Health with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority issued the precautionary advisory last evening due to positive low level results for bacteria in three of the samples taken as part of routine compliance testing under the Operating Licence issued by the Provincial Office of Drinking Water.

 Positive test results do happen from time to time, but usually retest negative. City staff take all the water samples, and follow a 12 step sampling protocol. All bacteria tests are performed by a contracted lab.  A number of factors can cause a water sample to have a false positive test result for bacteria, including:

• contaminated water tap at the sampling location,
• accidental contamination of the sample container,
• accidental contamination of the water during sampling, and
• accidental contamination at the laboratory during analysis.

 There was more than an adequate level of chlorine for water safety in all the water samples, including the samples with positive low level results of bacteria.  The chlorine levels measured met the level required in the Operating Licence and would have effectively killed any bacteria in the water.

 The City has shared the test results with the the Manitoba Office of Drinking Water, Manitoba Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and is awaiting a decision on the status of the Boil Water Advisory issued to the City last evening.

 The precautionary Boil Water Advisory was issued for the area south of Bishop Grandin to the Perimeter, and east of the Red River to the Seine River.

 More information is on the City’s website at

City of Winnipeg – Water Advisory