Assessing the impact of corrosion control measures on tap drinking water of the Greater Vancouver Regional District

A study on the quality of water distributed within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of previously implemented corrosion controls. In addition, the effect of temperature fluctuations was investigated to determine if it influenced the efficacy of the control measures. The GVRD was divided into four distribution areas. The Capilano water had no corrosion control treatment. Seymour, Coquitlam, and Newton waters were treated with soda ash, resulting in a pH of 6.8, 6.9, and 8.1, respectively. Standing cold water and running hot and cold water samples were collected from the four zones and analyzed for lead, copper, and zinc concentrations. The source water did not influence the amount of lead at the tap. The source water did influence the amount of copper and zinc at the tap. The highest copper and zinc concentrations were found in the water with the lowest pH (Capilano) and the lowest concentrations in the water with the highest pH (Newton). Seasonal temperature fluctuations of distributed GVRD water did not affect the metal concentrations in the water.