Water Treatment
Water quality
Orillia's Annual Drinking Water System and Summary Report follows requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act including Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Management Standard, and regulatory reporting requirements.
The City of Orillia has established a Quality Management System (QMS) for its drinking water system to ensure effective oversight of operations through clear policies and procedures. The QMS is based on Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS), developed by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to help municipal residential drinking water systems consistently deliver high-quality drinking water and mandated through the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Following the successful implementation of its QMS, the City of Orillia achieved Full Scope DWQMS Accreditation, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to providing safe, reliable drinking water to the community.
Orillia’s Quality Management Policy
The City owns, operates, and maintains the City of Orillia Drinking Water System. In its role as both owner and Operating Authority, the City supports the implementation, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of its Drinking Water Quality Management System, as outlined in the Operational Plan. Review the City's Financial Plan #125-301.
The City is committed to:
- Complying with all applicable legislation and regulations governing drinking water in Ontario
- Maintaining and continually improving the Quality Management System and Drinking Water System using best management practices
- Providing safe, high-quality drinking water to consumers
- Promoting water efficiency within the community
The QMS Operation Plan is available upon request.
Water colour, taste, or odour changes
Dirty water can come from maintenance or construction in your area, run the cold water tap in a bathtub or sink for 5 to 10 minutes. If your water has an unusual taste or smell, pour water into a glass to determine if it is the water itself or a smell coming from your drain.
If discolouration persists or the water in a glass omits the smell, contact the City.
Drinking water system
The Drinking Water System addresses all aspects of the drinking water system to promote consistency and ensure compliance with the requirements of the Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program.
The system provides both drinking water and water for firefighting throughout the city. It includes water sources, treatment facilities, pressure zones, storage reservoirs, watermains, valves, and hydrants.
Most of the City’s water comes from Lake Couchiching, with additional supply from two wells. Water is treated at the Water Filtration Plant and pumped to the respective pressure zones.
The distribution system consists of the network of pipes, valves, and hydrants that deliver treated water from the filtration plant and storage reservoirs to properties across the city. The system includes approximately 205 kilometres of watermain, 960 hydrants, and more than 1,800 valves. To help maintain and verify water quality, there are also three permanent auto-flushers and 20 sampling stations located throughout the network.
Water treatment process
Water from Lake Couchiching goes through multi-barrier treatment process: two gravity-fed intakes (primary and emergency), followed by screening and low-lift pumping. Coagulation and multi-stage flocculation remove suspended particles, and four dual-media gravity filters further reduce turbidity prior to disinfection.
Groundwater supply is provided by two City wells, which include air stripping treatment for removal of historical solvent contaminants.
Primary disinfection is achieved through ultraviolet (UV) reactors, supported by a comprehensive chlorination system that provides pre-chlorination, post-chlorination, and residual maintenance throughout the distribution system. Chlorine contact tanks are designed to achieve three-log virus inactivation.
Treated water is stored in a two-cell clearwell, which provides operational balancing and backwash supply. High-lift pumps distribute water to two pressure zones within the municipal system.
Water advisories
Water advisories may issued when there is evidence that water may be unsafe. This determination may be based on factors other than bacteriological testing, such as insufficient or absent disinfectant residual in the system. Learn more about safe water on the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit's website.
Contact Us
City of Orillia
50 Andrew Street South
Orillia, Ontario, L3V 7T5
Phone: 705-325-1311
Email us
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