Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements
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 trace chemistry results for raw well water samples collected from 2001 to 2018. 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.
Made available by the Government of Alberta
These resources are not under the control of the Government of Canada and the link is provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. We are not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content of this website. The Government of Canada does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through this link.
Visitors should also be aware that information offered by this non-Government of Canada site is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language used by the site. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of this non-government website before providing personal information.
- Publisher - Current Organization Name: Government of Alberta
- Licence: Open Government Licence - Alberta
Data and Resources
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2001–2003XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2016–2018XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2007–2009XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2004–2006XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2010–2012XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements 2013–2015XLSXEnglish dataset XLSX
-
Original metadata (https://open.alberta.ca/opendata)HTMLEnglish website HTML
Contact Information
Electronic Mail Address: health.ephs@gov.ab.ca