Living in Whitehorse
Water
Water quality and frost depths

Water quality and frost depths

Water Quality

The City of Whitehorse, as part of its Permit to Operate a Large Public Drinking Water System, collects weekly water samples for residual chlorine and temperature from 28 stations across the water distribution system, as well as samples for independent bacteriological analysis. In addition, water samples are collected two times per year at the Selkirk Pumphouse (after chlorination), for general chemistry and metals. The following table presents the latest results:

Parameters Units MAC GCDWQ Treated Water Selkirk Pumphouse 18-Dec-2024
Conductivity µS/cm 299
Bicarbonate (HCO3) mg/L 119
Carbonate (CO3) mg/L <1.0
Alkalinity (Total as CaCO3) mg/L 119
pH pH units 6.5-8.5 6.7
Total Dissolved Solids mg/L 500 178
Turbidity NTU <0.10
Fluoride mg/L 0.163
Sulphate mg/L 36.8
Arsenic mg/L 0.01 0.00429
Calcium mg/L 24.2
Copper mg/L 1 0.0024
Lead mg/L 0.01 <0.000050
Magnesium mg/L 21.8
Manganese mg/L 0.05 0.00117
Sodium mg/L 200 9.4
Zinc mg/L 5 0.0042
Hardness mg/L 149

Click here to view historical information (2013).

Frost Depths

Danger of frost has passed and all frost protection devices should be turned off.

Your frost protection devices include bleeders, heat trace tapes, transformers and aqua flows. Please note, for those residences with the temperature control bleeders (TCB’s) nothing is required.

Questions relating to these devices can be directed to the City of Whitehorse, Water and Waste Services, 668-8350 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Click here or on the image below to view frost depth measurements from 2011 to 2026.

Historical Frost Depths

Our Work in Pictures

This water well house pump pulls water from the aquifer 20 metres underground.

A City of Whitehorse well house.

This is the interior of a newly constructed water reservoir. The coloured arrows represent the level of the reservoir if it was full of clean potable water and the amount for each of the identified uses.

This is the lift station where waste is pumped to the treatment lagoons.

One of the City’s treatment lagoons.

Another treatment lagoon which looks just like a normal lake.

Did You Know?

  • 1/4 of all clean water that enters your home is used to flush toilets
  • One toilet flush require 3 gallons of clean treated water
  • A single load of laundry equals 40 gallons of clean water
  • A ten minute shower requires 50 gallons of clean water
  • Brushing teeth with the tap running requires 4 gallons
  • Your body is 60% water, your brain is 70% water and your blood, 80%
  • You can live without food for a month but your body cannot survive one week without clean water
  • 3% of the planet earth is fresh water and most is in the form of ice
  • Less than 1% of fresh water is accessible for human use
  • The Yukon is a high user of clean water

Top Water Issues for Municipalities

  • State of water and sewer infrastructure
  • Long-term water supply availability
  • Financing for capital improvements
  • Public understanding of the value of water resources
  • Public understanding of the value of water systems and services