Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry

Description

In rural Alberta, 90 per cent of people use private well water supplies for domestic use (e.g., drinking, cooking, bathing). Domestic well water systems are not regulated by the provincial or federal governments. The Government of Alberta along with Alberta Health Services (AHS) provides water chemistry testing of private well water and information and advice on safe water for domestic purposes; however, it is the responsibility of well owners to ensure the quality and safety of their water supply. Water quality may be impacted by contamination from natural sources or human activities and cause noticeable aesthetic issues or potential health concerns. Water samples are collected and submitted by well owners through local AHS sites for analysis of routine chemistry and trace element parameters. Routine chemistry testing focuses on the suitability of the water for drinking and household use with two health-related parameters. For trace elements, testing used to be conducted only when there were health concerns or when the water was suspected to contain chemicals of concern (2001 to Sep 2018). Currently, trace element testing is completed for all samples submitted for routine analysis (if the sample volume is sufficient). The Alberta Centre for Toxicology has conducted the analyses of raw domestic well water samples since March 2004. From 2001 to Mar 2004, testing was conducted by Enviro-Test Laboratories. Limited information is available regarding the analytical methods and detection limits for this lab; therefore, users are advised to exercise caution when using the 2001 to Mar 2004 data. These datasets contain the routine chemistry results for raw well water samples collected from 2001 to 2020. Corrections may be made to the dataset over time (e.g., removal of samples deemed to be treated); users should regularly check for updates and download the most current versions. For additional information, refer to the publications on the “Related” tab of this webpage.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2010–2012 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/25e7f679-02e2-4cc4-94f1-ef436e429e2a/download/routine-chemistry-analysis-10-to-12_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2016–2018 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/3fb3d500-0269-483b-aed9-e79a228032d9/download/health-dwwq-routine-chemistry-analysis-data_2016-2018_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2013–2015 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/50fdb287-d576-4e44-8000-9228c98c7cb6/download/routine-chemistry-analysis-13-to-15_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry - Dataset Column descriptions XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/7ca2bbca-070c-441e-87f6-197ce167175a/download/health-dwwq-routine-chemistry-analysis-column-descriptions_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2004–2006 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/82e32b85-e296-4d59-a3eb-a4823acde3d6/download/routine-chemistry-analysis-04-to-06_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2019–2020 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/8a6cf8dd-d530-4bfb-8522-ba77665aee75/download/health-dwwq-routine-chemistry-analysis-data_2019-2020_20260303.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2007–2009 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/ac5d45de-c3b6-47fd-a512-8ab98509c872/download/routine-chemistry-analysis-07-to-09_20260108.xlsx
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Routine Chemistry 2001–2004 XLS https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95/resource/ddf920be-93dc-499e-bed7-ea2a227dc3ae/download/routine-chemistry-analysis-01-to-mar-04_20230314.xlsx
Original metadata (https://open.alberta.ca/opendata) HTML https://open.alberta.ca/opendata/44dc425c-535f-4dbc-98f7-09fc772a6e95

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