Asbestos fibres have been found in Winnipeg tap water. Canada has no enforceable legal limit. Health Canada proposes to keep it that way. One Human Rights lawyer decided that wasn't good enough — not for Winnipeg, and not for any Canadian family.
The United States has had an enforceable limit on asbestos in drinking water since 1992. Canada has none. This campaign exists to close that gap.
Beneath Winnipeg streets sit over 700 kilometres of asbestos cement water pipes — roughly a quarter of the city's water network. Many were installed between the 1940s and 1970s and have now exceeded their design life.
Independent testing commissioned by W5 found asbestos fibres in residential tap water in Winnipeg. A 1977 Health and Welfare Canada study found 6.5 million fibres per litre at one Winnipeg location. Near a recent pipe break in Regina, W5 testing detected 370,000 fibres per litre.
The United States set an enforceable limit of 7 million fibres per litre in 1992. The European Union, the WHO, and other jurisdictions have moved on the issue. Canada has not. Health Canada's 2026 guidance document confirms that no Maximum Acceptable Concentration is proposed — and that no accredited Canadian laboratories currently test drinking water for asbestos.
National outlets are now covering what Winnipeg has lived with for decades.
Between 2022 and 2025, the City of Winnipeg removed just 6 kilometres of its more than 700 kilometres of asbestos cement water pipes. Previous city studies have said there wasn't a danger; others believe we shouldn't be taking the risk.
Watch on Global News →Every action taken on this file, with dates and recipients. Confirmed only.
Every claim in this campaign is rooted in publicly available sources.
W5 commissioned independent laboratory testing of residential tap water in Winnipeg. The results showed asbestos fibres at levels far above the U.S. legal limit. Additional testing near a pipe break in Regina found 370,000 fibres per litre.
CTV W5 →A 1977 Health and Welfare Canada study measured asbestos fibre concentrations in Winnipeg drinking water, with a recorded reading of 6.5 million fibres per litre at one location. The study is on the public record but has not led to an enforceable standard.
Government archive →Health Canada's own 2026 guidance document on asbestos in drinking water proposes no enforceable MAC. The same document confirms that no accredited Canadian laboratories currently offer testing for asbestos in drinking water. Winnipeg is mentioned only in passing.
Health Canada →The U.S. EPA has maintained an enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level for asbestos in drinking water at 7 million fibres per litre since 1992. The U.S. classifies ingested asbestos as a known cancer risk requiring federal regulation.
EPA →Research from the National Research Council on the structural and material behaviour of asbestos cement pipes in Canadian water distribution networks, including degradation patterns and pipe failure modes.
NRC →July 2022 letter to Minister LeBlanc — copied to the Prime Minister's Office — raising the Winnipeg infrastructure question and the gap in Canadian standards. Documented and on the public record.
On file →Built using the City of Winnipeg's publicly available water main infrastructure records. Search by street, postal code, or neighbourhood. Click any segment for details.
Open the Map →Your experience matters. If you live in Winnipeg and want to contribute observations about your water service line or local infrastructure, get in touch. We're building a public picture of a public problem.
Get in TouchConfirmed by Statistics Canada. Winnipeg is the first city we've mapped. More are coming.
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