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Nelson Drinking Water Quality
By OpenStats · Built from official Canadian sources
Regional estimateA
Water quality grade
Excellent
Graded against Health Canada drinking water guidelines
Lead within guidelinepH in range
Hardness vs provincial average167 mg/L · prov. avg 139 mg/L
Lead vs provincial average0.7 μg/L · prov. avg 0.3 μg/L
Hardness
167 mg/L
Lead
0.7 μg/L
≤ 5 μg/L
pH
7
6.5–8.5 range
Hardness
167 mg/L
Hard
Lead
0.7 μg/L
Max: 5 μg/L
pH
7
6.5–8.5
Chlorine
1.2 mg/L
Max: 4 mg/L
From source to sink
Where Nelson 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 Nelson water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityNelson
Municipal service area
- Source waterFive Mile Creek
Source water
- Source waterSelous Creek
Source water
- Treatment plantMountain Station Water Treatment Facility
Approximate pin near Nelson (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
- Five Mile Creek
- Anderson Creek (incl. Fell Creek)
- Selous Creek
Treatment plants
Mountain Station Water Treatment Facility
As of 2023 all sources consolidate here: sedimentation in historic reservoir, UV, and chlorination (sodium hypochlorite).
How it reaches your street
Five Mile supplies ~88% via a 1927 pipeline; Anderson and Selous supplement peak summer demand. Anderson booster lifts water ~100 m to Mountain Station.
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Reading this page
Nelson's most recent drinking water sample (2026-07-22) reports hardness of 167 mg/L, classified as hard, and pH 7, drawn from a mixed water source and treated at Nelson Water Treatment Plant. Lead measured 0.7 μg/L and fluoride 0.7 mg/L.
Free chlorine measured 1.2 mg/L in this sample. No E. coli was detected in this sample.
Nelson's hardness of 167 mg/L is above the British Columbia average of 139 mg/L across 31 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.
All health parameters meet Health Canada guidelines with comfortable pH, hardness, and turbidity.
Figure 1 · From source to sink
How drinking water reaches your tap
Compared to provincial average
British Columbia · 31 cities in sample
Hardness (city vs British Columbia avg)167 mg/L
pH (city vs British Columbia avg)7
Lead (city vs British Columbia avg)0.7 μg/L
Fluoride (city vs British Columbia avg)0.7 mg/L
Provincial average: hardness 139 mg/L · pH 7.5 · lead 0.3 μg/L · fluoride 0.6 mg/L
Full parameters
| Parameter | Reading | Health Canada guideline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 167 mg/L | No health limit (aesthetic) | Compliant |
| pH | 7 | 6.5–8.5 | Compliant |
| Lead | 0.7 μg/L | ≤ 5 μg/L | Compliant |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | Compliant |
| Chlorine (free) | 1.2 mg/L | ≤ 4 mg/L | Compliant |
| Turbidity | 0.8 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 →Drinking water filters and test kits
Pitcher and under-sink filters, plus hardness strips and TDS meters for tap checks.
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- Shop on Amazon.caReverse osmosis systemHigh-ticket under-sink upgrade
- Shop on Amazon.caShower filterChlorine at the showerhead
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- Shop on Amazon.caTDS meterQuick dissolved-solids readout
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Source · ECCC / municipal open data (seed). Last updated 2026-07-22. Refreshed on the site's automated schedule.