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Medicine Hat Drinking Water Quality
By OpenStats · Built from official Canadian sources
Direct municipal dataB
Water quality grade
Good
Graded against Health Canada drinking water guidelines
Lead within guidelinepH in range
Hardness vs provincial average200 mg/L · prov. avg 168 mg/L
Lead vs provincial average0.6 μg/L · prov. avg 0.3 μg/L
Hardness
200 mg/L
Lead
0.6 μg/L
≤ 5 μg/L
pH
7.9
6.5–8.5 range
Hardness
200 mg/L
Very hard
Lead
0.6 μg/L
Max: 5 μg/L
pH
7.9
6.5–8.5
Chlorine
1.1 mg/L
Max: 4 mg/L
From source to sink
Where Medicine Hat water comes from
Lakes, rivers, wells, and treatment plants behind the kitchen tap, in plain language. Chemistry grades above are a separate lab snapshot; this section is the route the water travels.
Open the full tap storyOn the map
Where Medicine Hat water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityMedicine Hat
Municipal service area
- Source waterSouth Saskatchewan River
River at Medicine Hat
- Treatment plantMedicine Hat Water Treatment Plant
Approximate pin near Medicine Hat (exact plant coordinates pending)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate for orientation, not legal survey points.
Where it starts
Surface water
Research confidence: high
Named source waters
- South Saskatchewan River
Treatment plants
Medicine Hat Water Treatment Plant
At 1502 Power House Road SW beside the South Saskatchewan River and city power plant site; continuous staffing; plant originally dates to 1912 with successive expansions.
How it reaches your street
Treated water is pumped into the municipal distribution system from the riverside plant. A residuals management facility at the plant site is being built so process solids are landfilled rather than returned to the river.
SponsoredAlso consider
Whole-house water softener
Best for hardness ≥ 180 mg/L
SponsoredAlso consider
Water hardness test strips
Confirm mg/L before sizing a unit
As an Amazon Associate, OpenStats earns from qualifying purchases.
Partner
Lab water test for Medicine Hat taps
Municipal reports cover the plant. A Tap Score kit tests the water at a Medicine Hat tap for a broader contaminant panel.
Lab kit partner link. We may earn a commission when tracking is active.
Reading this page
Medicine Hat's most recent drinking water sample (2026-07-22) reports hardness of 200 mg/L, classified as very hard, and pH 7.9, drawn from a mixed water source and treated at Medicine Hat Water Treatment Plant. Lead measured 0.6 μg/L and fluoride 0.7 mg/L.
Free chlorine measured 1.1 mg/L in this sample. No E. coli was detected in this sample.
Medicine Hat's hardness of 200 mg/L is above the Alberta average of 168 mg/L across 19 tracked municipalities, with a provincial average pH of 7.5.
These readings summarize a single compliance snapshot, not a certification of the water reaching your tap. Test your own water periodically, especially on a private well, and consider a softener if hardness is classified hard or very hard.
How to use this page: read the headline metrics first, then where the water comes from (map and tap story), then the parameter table and source footer.
All monitored parameters meet Health Canada guidelines.
Health parameters compliant; minor aesthetic factors such as hardness or pH near guideline edges.
Figure 1 · From source to sink
How drinking water reaches your tap
Compared to provincial average
Alberta · 19 cities in sample
Hardness (city vs Alberta avg)200 mg/L
pH (city vs Alberta avg)7.9
Lead (city vs Alberta avg)0.6 μg/L
Fluoride (city vs Alberta avg)0.7 mg/L
Provincial average: hardness 168 mg/L · pH 7.5 · lead 0.3 μg/L · fluoride 0.6 mg/L
Full parameters
| Parameter | Reading | Health Canada guideline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 200 mg/L | No health limit (aesthetic) | Compliant |
| pH | 7.9 | 6.5–8.5 | Compliant |
| Lead | 0.6 μg/L | ≤ 5 μg/L | Compliant |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | Compliant |
| Chlorine (free) | 1.1 mg/L | ≤ 4 mg/L | Compliant |
| Turbidity | 0.7 NTU | ≤ 1 NTU (typical target) | Compliant |
Alberta water licences
WaterRegister.ca
On a private well or holding an Alberta water allocation licence? Water Register maps EPA licence records, transfer comparables, and watershed context across the province.
Explore WaterRegister.ca →Water softeners for hard water
Very hard water. Whole-house softeners are the high-ticket fit; salt and test kits support the install.
As an Amazon Associate, OpenStats earns from qualifying purchases.
· Compare options- Shop on Amazon.caWhole-house water softenerBest for hardness ≥ 180 mg/L
- Shop on Amazon.caSoftener saltOngoing supply (high repurchase)
- Shop on Amazon.caWater descalerScale reduction without salt
- Shop on Amazon.caWater hardness test stripsConfirm mg/L before sizing a unit
- Shop on Amazon.caTDS meterQuick dissolved-solids check
Source · City of Medicine Hat water quality page. Last updated 2026-07-22. Refreshed on the site's automated schedule.