In March 2019, Health Canada lowered the national guideline for lead in drinking water from a maximum acceptable concentration of 0.01 milligrams per litre (mg/L) to 0.005 mg/L based on a sample of water taken at the consumer tap. Manitoba adopted this new guideline as a drinking water quality standard in 2020.
Lead is not natural to Manitoba source waters. It is introduced into drinking water through corrosion of lead-bearing materials in service lines to homes and buildings, and in plumbing systems and fixtures. The only way to detect if a home or building has lead in its drinking water is to test at the taps.
