The City of Winnipeg issued a news release on Sept. 24 warning residents of upcoming changes to the way they are treating their wastewater that will impact the Red River. Because water runs downstream, local residents were unsure of how this would affect our region.
The release explained that the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant’s(NEWPCC) upgrades were going to be entering a new phase, and as of Oct. 1, the City of Winnipeg would be temporarily shutting off ultraviolet treatment for wastewater. It is expected that this treatment will be turned back on in March of 2026.
The ultraviolet treatment of wastewater is the last step before the release of wastewater and is used to neutralize bacteria and viruses, like E.coli and fecal coliforms.
“Shutting off UV treatment will cause a short-term increase to the existing virus and bacteria levels in the Red River. This can have adverse health effects on people and pets. Fish won’t be impacted,” said the news release.
The release notifies residents living within three kilometres downstream of the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant to take the following steps:
• Avoid direct contact with river water, when possible
• Wash hands with soap after any direct contact with river water
• Use safe food handling practices when eating fish from the river
• Don’t let your pets come into contact with or drink river water
When asked how this may affect Selkirk and area, a provincial government spokesperson said that they believe that there will be minimal impact.
“It is anticipated the heavy dilution factor will dilute the pathogen load enough that Selkirk and area would see minimal impacts. All downstream users can follow the City of Winnipeg’s recommended actions as a precaution, including avoiding direct contact with the river water, washing hands after contacting river water, using safe food-handling practices when consuming fish from the river, and not letting pets come into contact with the river water,” the provincial spokesperson said.
In addition, there will be monitoring of the quality of water downstream.
“As part of the UV bypass approval, the City of Winnipeg is required to take samples every two weeks downstream of the NEWPCC outfall at the Chief Peguis Bridge, Perimeter Bridge and the Redwood Bridge. Samples will be analyzed for E. coli levels. The City of Winnipeg must also report weekly to the department on cumulative total phosphorus and E. coli from the effluent monitoring station and cumulative E. coli at the sampling locations mentioned previously. The city must also post volumes of partially treated wastewater discharged to the river on its website,” the provincial spokesperson said.
After contacting the City of Selkirk, they said they were not notified in advance of this change.
Selkirk’s Manager of Citizen Engagement Vanessa Figus explained that conservation and surface water quality are provincial responsibilities. Any notice of a potential threat to human health, and any guidance for citizens, would be provided by the Province.
She wanted to reassure Selkirk residents that this should not affect their drinking water.
“It is also important to remember that Selkirk’s drinking water does not come from the Red River, but from wells. This situation, and all similar situations where the City of Winnipeg discharges wastewater that does not meet regulatory standards, has no impact on Selkirk’s drinking water,” Figus said.
Local MLA Richard Perchotte was disappointed when he heard of this news release, as he was also not notified of this change in advance.
“It’s a failure to plan. We know infrastructure breaks down over time, and you have to have a methodical, direct approach to phase in new equipment as you slowly phase out old equipment. Waiting for the complete breakdown and shutting down something as vital as a UV treatment to fecal matter entering our waterway is inexcusable,” said Perchotte.
He said that this failure was the responsibility of the provincial government as well as the City of Winnipeg and he is concerned about how this may impact our region’s use of the Red River this winter.
The city of Winnipeg’s news release is available on their website www.winnipeg.ca.
