Is EPCOR water safe to drink?
Yes. EPCOR water meets or exceeds current regulatory standards. The Lab performs over 109,000 tests per year on plant, reservoir and distribution system samples. The EPCOR Quality Assurance Lab supports an active testing program recommended by Health and Welfare Canada as well as tests required by the Alberta Environmental Protection Service.
Where can I find more detail in regard to test results on EPCOR water?
We have numerous water quality reports available on line.
Is there lead in my drinking water?
Lead levels are very low in the drinking water leaving the Edmonton treatment plants and in the distribution system. However, it may be present in your home tap water as a result of dissolution from household plumbing systems containing lead, including solder, brass fittings, or the service connections to your home.
To be on the safe side, you may wish to rid your plumbing system of standing water before the water is used for drinking or cooking. You can do this by running the cold water tap for a minute or two (until the water gets cold).
Excess quantities of lead may impact human health, especially in small children, therefore a very conservative limit has been set by Health Canada at 0.010 mg/L of lead in drinking water (soils and household dust are the most significant sources of lead exposure for small children). This limit is based on long-term chronic effects, so short-term consumption of water above this limit does not necessarily pose undue risk to health.
Lead levels in the water leaving the EPCOR water treatment plants are always less than 0.001 mg/L or ten times lower than the limit. Lead is the most common of the heavy elements and is widely distributed throughout the environment. It has traditionally been used in plumbing fittings, lead acid batteries, chemicals, paints, and solder, although these uses are decreasing. Canadian and US governments are introducing policies and regulations to reduce lead content in plumbing fittings, paints, solder and gasoline.
If you are concerned and wish to have your water tested, please look for "Laboratories" in the Yellow Pages. Fees will vary.
Sometimes when I pour a glass of water it appears cloudy, then clears from the bottom up. Why does this happen?
This is due to dissolved air (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide) in the water. The colder the water is to start with, the more air it holds in solution. The pressure in the water lines keeps it in solution as it travels and warms in the distribution system or in your homes water lines. When the pressure is released it forms fine, microscopic bubbles that gives the water a cloudy look for a few seconds. This is not an indication of a problem. The water should clear from the bottom up in a few minutes if left to sit.
What is the hardness of EPCOR tap water?
EPCOR water fluctuates between 130-190 mg/L expressed as Calcium Carbonate, with an average of 165 mg/L. Washing machine manufacturers often refer to "Hardness in Grains"; the hardness in grains per American gallon is 7.5-11. Edmonton water is classed as moderate in hardness.
How does the hardness of tap water affect my appliances?
Clothes Washer
Today's synthetic detergents are capable of dealing with hard water at the ranges found in EPCOR water. Your detergent should work just the same on your "whites"; no extra treatment should be required. It should be noted that synthetic detergents typically do not form a lot of suds in the washer. Also, if you overload your clothes washer or do not properly adjust the water level control for the load you are going to see soap solids left on your clothes.
Dishwasher
It should be noted that Edmonton residents have always had calcium in their water, which means you will see some spotting of glassware and scale formation in water droplets left to air dry. These problems can be avoided by using a rinse cycle product. This is relatively inexpensive - a small bottle ($3 - $4) is enough to last about 40 loads. You can reduce scaling in puddles in cup bottoms by opening the washer after the run is complete and drying the puddles with a tea towel, then allow to air dry. If you allow glassware to stand upright so that it collects water, you will see leftover soaps, scale, and food particles. The hardness does not affect the physical flows and jet rinsing capability of your dishwasher.
Hot Water Heater
It is a good idea to drain your hot water tank once or twice a year. This will minimize buildup of sediment and prolong the life of your tank. The increased hardness in our water will produce a little more sediment in the tank and you may want to drain it one extra time per year.
Humidifier
Increased hardness means additional cleaning will be required, especially during winter months when natural hardness increases and so does the use of humidifiers. There are no special additives to reduce the amount of dissolved minerals in the water; however, there are some additive tablets that create a softer scale for ease of cleaning.
Are there pharmaceuticals found in drinking water?
Over the past few years scientists across North America have been finding trace levels of pharmaceutical medicines, antibiotics, and personal care products in almost all surface water supplies. The highest levels appear to be from sewage treatment plant effluents.
Studies in Edmonton show that some of these compounds are found in the North Saskatchewan River raw water supply at very low levels. Water treatment processes appear to further reduce the levels of these compounds but there are currently no regulated limits for these products. Work is continuing within regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Canada to determine if any limits need to be set or if treatment processes need to be improved to reduce levels further.
Is there a relationship between tap water chemistry and corrosion of copper pipes?
EPCOR is conducting a long-term research project to determine if tap water has corrosive effects on metals typically found in household plumbing, e.g., copper, brass, lead and zinc. Although EPCOR is not responsible for internal building plumbing, it is required to produce "non-corrosive" water.
To date, the study shows the following:
- Corrosion process is very complex. Primary factors in one water utility system may be unimportant in another.
- In Edmonton, cold water had little impact on corrosion of copper, brass, or lead pipes. Zinc had higher uniform and pitting corrosion rates in the first 3 months of the study.
- In Edmonton, hot water had little impact on corrosion of copper, brass, or lead pipes. Zinc had significantly higher uniform and pitting corrosion rates in the first 6 months of the study.
- Although no plumbing fitting are made of zinc, many are made of brass which contains 5%-30% zinc.
- Hot water produces faster corrosion reactions.
- Hot water recirculating systems appear to selectively leach zinc from brass fittings.
- In Edmonton, excessive velocity due to recirculating water pumps in commercial buildings result in significant erosion corrosion problems. Typical plumbing standards set maximum flow of 1.8 m/sec, but the American Water and Wastewater Association recommends a maximum 0.5 m/sec flow rate based on their own corrosion research.
- For more detailed information on metal corrosion, visit the Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association website and the Copper and Brass ServiCenter Assocation website.
Do I need to dechlorinate EPCOR water for my new fish tank?
EPCOR water contains chloramine, not chlorine. Chloramine is not a gas in solution like chlorine, so it cannot be removed by purging the water with air. A dechlorination chemical is needed. These are readily available at most pet stores.
What exactly is "Beaver Fever"?
Beaver Fever is the common name for a flu-like illness caused by a common intestinal parasite known as Giardia (pronounced gee-are-dee-ah). The symptoms usually appear one to four weeks after you have ingested a large amount of Giardia cysts (30-50 cysts per 1000 litres of water). Giardia are found in human and animal wastes which sometime wash into rivers and lakes. Statistically, our treatment process is removing at least 99.99% to 99.999999% of Giardia.
Alberta Health Services regularly monitors causes of Giardiasis illness (camping, travel abroad, etc) and alerts EPCOR if levels increase above normal.