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Yellowknife Drinking Water Quality
By OpenStats · Built from official Canadian sources
Regional estimateB
Water quality grade
Good
Graded against Health Canada drinking water guidelines
Lead within guidelinepH in range
Hardness vs provincial average174 mg/L · prov. avg 174 mg/L
Lead vs provincial average0.6 μg/L · prov. avg 0.6 μg/L
Hardness
174 mg/L
Lead
0.6 μg/L
≤ 5 μg/L
pH
7.7
6.5–8.5 range
Hardness
174 mg/L
Hard
Lead
0.6 μg/L
Max: 5 μg/L
pH
7.7
6.5–8.5
Chlorine
1.1 mg/L
Max: 4 mg/L
From source to sink
Where Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityYellowknife
Municipal service area
- Source waterYellowknife River
Source water
- Treatment plantYellowknife Water Treatment Plant (Pumphouse No. 1 complex)
Approximate pin near Yellowknife (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
- Yellowknife River
- Yellowknife Bay (emergency / secondary intake)
Treatment plants
Yellowknife Water Treatment Plant (Pumphouse No. 1 complex)
Membrane filtration plant (commissioned 2015) with on-site sodium hypochlorite generation and fluoridation; raw water arrives from Pumphouse No. 2 at the Yellowknife River via submersible pipeline under Yellowknife Bay.
How it reaches your street
City-owned utility distributes treated water through about 62 km of watermains, plus trucked and seasonal aboveground lines. Also supplies neighbouring Yellowknives Dene communities of Ndilǫ and Dettah. Reservoirs / recirculation stations keep arctic distribution circulating and heated in winter.
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Reading this page
Yellowknife's most recent drinking water sample (2026-07-22) reports hardness of 174 mg/L, classified as hard, and pH 7.7, drawn from a surface water source and treated at Yellowknife Water Treatment Plant. Lead measured 0.6 μg/L and fluoride 0.5 mg/L.
Free chlorine measured 1.1 mg/L in this sample. No E. coli was detected in this sample.
Water hardness measures dissolved calcium and magnesium; it affects soap performance and appliance scaling but carries no Health Canada health-based limit.
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.
Health parameters meet Health Canada limits; turbidity above the 1 NTU typical target.
Health parameters meet Health Canada limits; turbidity exceeds the typical 1 NTU aesthetic target.
Figure 1 · From source to sink
How drinking water reaches your tap
Compared to provincial average
Northwest Territories · 1 cities in sample
Hardness (city vs Northwest Territories avg)174 mg/L
pH (city vs Northwest Territories avg)7.7
Lead (city vs Northwest Territories avg)0.6 μg/L
Fluoride (city vs Northwest Territories avg)0.5 mg/L
Provincial average: hardness 174 mg/L · pH 7.7 · lead 0.6 μg/L · fluoride 0.5 mg/L
Full parameters
| Parameter | Reading | Health Canada guideline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 174 mg/L | No health limit (aesthetic) | Compliant |
| pH | 7.7 | 6.5–8.5 | Compliant |
| Lead | 0.6 μg/L | ≤ 5 μg/L | Compliant |
| Fluoride | 0.5 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | Compliant |
| Chlorine (free) | 1.1 mg/L | ≤ 4 mg/L | Compliant |
| Turbidity | 1.5 NTU | ≤ 1 NTU (typical target) | Exceeds guideline |
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 →Drinking water filters and test kits
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- Shop on Amazon.caShower filterChlorine at the showerhead
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- Shop on Amazon.caTDS meterQuick dissolved-solids readout
- Shop on Amazon.caWater hardness test stripsQuick tap reading
Source · ECCC / municipal open data (seed). Last updated 2026-07-22. Refreshed on the site's automated schedule.