Chemical control of these minerals is required to avoid unpleasant colour and staining of fixtures and laundry. Our water is safe for drinking. All water distributed in a municipal system must meet high levels of quality maintained by the Ministry of the Environment. The Ontario Drinking Water Standards stipulate over 100 criteria with safe consumption limits established on the basis of epidemiological and toxicological research. The criteria are revised periodically to reflect any new findings or concerns.
Licensed operators maintain all treatment and water supply facilities.
Monitoring equipment is installed throughout all Regional facilities and is equipped with alarms which immediately alert staff of operational problems. Thousands of samples are tested annually to confirm compliance with Provincial standards. Water samples are sent for analyses to the York-Durham Regional Environmental Laboratory in Pickering. The Regional Laboratory maintains a high standard in the area of quality assurance with highly skilled staff and an impressive array of advanced testing equipment. Click here to link to the Ministry of the Environment for more information.