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Source: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/tap-water-in-toronto/

Tap Water in Toronto

Toronto’s tap water is safe to drink right out of the tap. It is clean, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The City of Toronto ensures that residents, businesses and visitors have access to clean, safe drinking water. This is done through a complex water treatment process and continuous testing so that water always meets or exceeds the Safe Drinking Water Act set by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). Expand All Tap Water in Toronto accordion panelsCollapse All Tap Water in Toronto accordion panels

Why Drink Tap Water

Toronto’s tap water is safe to drink right out of the tap. It is clean, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Filling up a standard reusable water bottle costs less than one cent, while bottled water can cost as much as 200 times more. The City of Toronto meets or exceeds the regulations set by the MECP for drinking water, which are some of the most stringent regulations in the world. While bottled water can come from all over the world and may not follow stringent regulations, Toronto’s tap water is drawn from local sources to ensure the water supply is reliable, safe and sustainable. In addition, using Toronto’s tap water is environmentally better than bottled water since it does not require the production and disposal of plastic bottles as part of supplying the water.

Tap Water Testing

Toronto’s tap water is continuously tested, monitored and analyzed to ensure it meets the strict standards of Toronto Public Health, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada. Toronto Water’s accredited and licensed lab: * tests drinking water samples collected every six hours at the water treatment plants for bacteriological quality (almost 6,000 times a year) * conducts more than 20,000 tests at the water treatment plants annually * conducts more than 15,000 tests on samples collected from the water distribution system annually

See the most recent drinking water quality and system reports submitted to the MECP regarding the operations, capital and operating budgets of the drinking water system.

Drinking Water Treatment & Supply

Each day, the City of Toronto treats more than one billion litres of safe drinking water at four water treatment plants, which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How treatment works

Water is collected from Lake Ontario through intake pipes deep below the lake surface between one and five kilometres away from shore.
Lake water passes through screens to remove large debris. Water is disinfected by using either chlorine or ozone.
Alum or poly-aluminum chloride is added to the water to bring particles in the water together and form larger particles called floc.
The water travels through settling basins to allow larger particles to settle to the bottom. The clear water at the top proceeds to filters containing gravel, sand and carbon to remove suspended impurities and microorganisms.
Before water is pumped for distribution to homes and businesses, the following is added:
- chlorine to destroy bacteria and viruses
- fluoride to help prevent tooth decay
- ammonia to ensure chlorine levels remain present as water travels through the distribution system
- phosphoric acid, which is used for corrosion control to help create a barrier between residential lead pipes and drinking water

Supply, storage and distribution

To ensure an uninterrupted water supply, there is a computerized process control system overseen by Toronto Water staff. The aim is to distribute superior-quality water in a reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sound manner. Staff monitor: * four water treatment plants * 18 pumping stations * 11 underground reservoirs * four elevated storage tanks * more than 5,000 km of watermains

To ensure adequate water pressure and supply, Toronto is split into six pressure zones and subdivided into 13 pressure districts, which are continuously monitored and adjusted based on demand. Additional water is stored in tanks and reservoirs, which helps maintain pressure and enough supply during peak periods and emergencies, such as fires, watermain breaks and power outages.

Commonly Asked Questions about Tap Water

Cloudy water

Water that looks cloudy is usually safe to drink and use. This cloudiness is usually temporary. The cloudy appearance is usually from air bubbles in the water that should disappear within a few minutes. Air bubbles in the water can occur for the following reasons:
- when different temperatures of water enter the plumbing system
- when the water has been turned off during construction
- with valve changes in the distribution system (a valve is a device that regulates, directs and controls the flow of safe drinking water in watermains)
To reduce the cloudy appearance:
- run a cold water tap to allow the air to escape
- pour some cold water into a glass. The air bubbles will rise to the surface and clear up within a few minutes. If the water is still cloudy or sediment appears, please contact 311 to initiate a water quality service request.

Chlorine

Chlorine is used in the drinking water process to control bacteria, algae and viruses.
The range of chlorine used is set by the MECP (and is continuously monitored by the City to ensure the water is safe to drink).
If you are sensitive to chlorine taste and odours, fill a pitcher with water and let it stand overnight in the refrigerator or add ice and a slice of lemon, lime or fruit to the water.

Fluoride

Fluoride is added to Toronto’s drinking water to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Fluoride levels in Toronto’s drinking water are regulated in Ontario under the Safe Drinking Water Act administered by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Learn more about fluoride from Toronto Public Health.

Discoloured tap water

Discoloured or rusty tap water can be caused by a number of different factors.
If only one tap is affected, this indicates a private plumbing issue. You may wish to contact a plumber.
If all taps are affected, this may be a result of plumbing work on your property, construction on a watermain in the area, or nearby fire hydrant use. Get tips on how to resolve the issue.

Earthy or musty smell/taste

Earthy, musty smell and/or taste can occur in late summer or early fall and can be the result of naturally-occurring algae and high water temperatures in Lake Ontario.
The water remains safe to drink during these events.
If you are sensitive to the smell or taste, you can fill a pitcher with water and let it stand overnight in the refrigerator or add ice and a slice of lemon, lime or other fruit to your water.
Taste and odour can also be a result of a private plumbing issue. Learn more about potential causes and what to do.

Microplastics

Microplastics are plastic particles under 5 millimetres (mm) in size and enter the environment through human use.
There is currently no standard method for sampling and quantifying microplastics in drinking water, making it difficult to compare studies or reliably predict exposure, effects, hazards or risks.
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks does not require sampling or testing drinking water for microplastics.

Water treatment for microplastics

The City’s water treatment plants have a multi-barrier water treatment system in place which can remove small particles, including microplastics in the one to two micron size range (one micron is equal to 0.001 mm).
The specific treatment step that removes the microplastics is referred to as chemically-assisted filtration. This involves the addition of a coagulant chemical, followed by rapid mixing (coagulation), gentle mixing (flocculation) and granular media filtration, a process that removes suspended solids by passing water through a bed of granular material.
To learn more about our comprehensive treatment process, please see Drinking Water Treatment & Supply.

Water hardness

Water hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water.
Toronto’s drinking water is sourced from Lake Ontario and has relatively low levels of minerals. This means that water hardness is not a concern for most homeowners and water softening systems are generally unnecessary.
If mineral deposits build up on fixtures, they can be removed using vinegar or a commercial hardness remover.

Lead and drinking water

The water that leaves the City’s water treatment plants is lead-free.
Lead is typically present in homes built before the mid-1950s when residential water service pipes were commonly made of lead. In addition, lead can be found in solder used to join pipes before 1990, leaded-brass fixtures like faucets and valves and in-home plumbing in older homes.
See how to check if you have lead pipes, what to do and how the City is managing lead in drinking water.