The June 23, 2025, City Council meeting saw Waterworks Committee Chair Faron Nicholls provide an update on two initiatives under his portfolio — the city’s annual water main flushing program and ongoing lead testing efforts.
The flushing program is a routine part of maintaining the city’s water infrastructure and involves clearing out iron and other residues that accumulate in the water mains over time. Crews flush the mains at high velocities to scour accumulated sediment from the pipes.
Nicholls says the process is routine but essential. “This procedure is very important to do for our water mains addressing residues and sediment in them. We need to flush out these out the best we can."
Residents can expect flushing to occur during overnight hours — Sunday through Friday, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Nicholls says the city has also launched an interactive online map that allows homeowners to enter their address and find out exactly when flushing is scheduled in their area.
“I think it's great, if you're so inclined and you can maneuver your way through our city website and find that part, it’ll tell you exactly when the plan is for your area to be flushed and what evening,” he said.
Nicholls emphasized that while water may appear temporarily discoloured, it remains safe. Nonetheless, residents are urged to run their cold water taps after flushing has occurred in their area, before using any hot water.
Nicholls also highlighted that the city's annual lead testing program is still looking for volunteer households. He explained that the testing is a provincial requirement that calls for sampling from residential homes.
“Each year the city is required to test for the presence of lead in our drinking water and we need 40 homes each year,” Nicholls said. “It’s totally confidential. We don't share the results of where the homes are publicly but we do use it for our own analysis.”
Despite needing public participation, Nicholls expressed confidence in the community's response. “We always seem to meet our request and our mandate each year. The good citizens of Portage step forward and there's folks that have older homes and they're concerned about that so they tend to come forward as well.”
Nicholls says although the City’s water meets provincial guidelines, older homes may have lead services and fixtures that can leach into the water. He adds if elevated levels are detected, the City will provide information on how to mitigate exposure.
Residents can volunteer by calling 204-239-8346. Test kits will be delivered and picked up by city staff.
More information on both programs can be found on the City of Portage la Prairie website, or in previous PortageOnline stories featuring water main flushing and the call for lead water testing volunteers in Portage la Prairie.