City Provides Update on Taste and Odour in Drinking Water
The City confirms that Prince Albert’s drinking water remains safe and continues to meet all provincial regulatory standards. The earthy or musty taste and odour residents have noticed are associated with levels of naturally occurring organic compounds in the North Saskatchewan River and do not pose a health risk.
The City continues to closely monitor water quality and adjust treatment processes to address the temporary taste and odour concerns. Over the past week, representatives from the Water Security Agency and SaskHealth visited the Water Treatment Plant to better understand the concerns and discuss the City’s response.
Residents may notice these compounds even at very low levels, as the human nose can detect them at concentrations as low as a few parts per trillion. The City understands the taste and odour changes have been frustrating for residents and will continue to closely monitor conditions and provide updates as they become available.
Enhanced Monitoring and Testing
The Water Treatment Plant is optimizing treatment processes, including the use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) and potassium permanganate, to remove naturally occurring compounds that contribute to taste and odour.
Operators continue monitoring through:
- Daily testing of water entering and leaving the treatment plant.
- Manual verification testing every two hours to confirm automated monitoring systems are performing accurately.
- Weekly sampling at nine locations throughout the distribution system.
- Additional reservoir samples have been sent for specialized laboratory analysis to identify the specific compounds responsible for the taste and odour concerns, with results expected within approximately two weeks.
Water Quality Continues to Improve
Recent operating data indicates improving water quality conditions. UVA254 is a water quality measurement that detects the amount of organic matter in water by measuring how much ultraviolet (UV) light is absorbed at a wavelength of 254 nanometres. Daily average UVA254 measurements decreased from 0.0650 cm⁻¹ on August 17 to 0.0506 cm⁻¹ on August 24, a reduction of approximately 22%.
The City has also observed reduced chlorine demand throughout reservoirs and the distribution system, another indicator that concentrations of naturally occurring organic matter are decreasing.
Further improvements will depend on the quality of source water entering the treatment process from the North Saskatchewan River. While conditions at the Water Treatment Plant are improving, it can take approximately three to four days for freshly treated water to move throughout the distribution system and reach every tap.
How Long Will the Taste and Odour Last?
The duration of the issue will depend largely on source water conditions. Typically, these concerns begin to improve as:
- Cooler temperatures return.
- Natural organic compound levels in the North Saskatchewan River decrease.
The City will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates as needed. For more information about Prince Albert's water quality monitoring and testing program, visit: www.citypa.ca/water-quality
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For more information, contact:
Tim Earing
Acting Director, Public Works
City of Prince Albert
