| Ottawa’s drinking water rated exceptional by Province | | | Ottawa (July 2, 2008) - The City of Ottawa’s drinking water is among the safest in the world, according to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s (MOE) Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s 2006-07 Annual Report. The City’s Public Works and Services Department has achieved exceptional inspection ratings, including perfect water quality scores at four of the six municipal water systems. The MOE inspected all of the City’s water production processes from treatment, distribution, emergency planning, customer relations, staff training and certification, and water quality monitoring. The MOE gave the City the highest possible inspection rating of 95 to 100 per cent. The water quality rating for each facility is:- Carp Well Supply - 100 per cent
- Richmond - Kings Park Well Supply - 100 per cent
- Munster Hamlet Well Supply - 100 per cent
- Britannia Water Purification Plant - 99.45 per cent
- Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant - 99.34 per cent
- Vars Well Supply - 100 per cent
“I am very pleased to hear our water is among the safest in the world,” stated Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien. “These results show our commitment to delivering the highest quality of drinking water to our residents and we will continue to improve our efforts.” Most of the City’s drinking water is drawn from the Ottawa River and treated at the City’s two water purification plants, Britannia and Lemieux Island. It is then distributed through a number of pumping stations, reservoirs and 2,700 kilometres of watermains for consumption. Water from these plants is tested regularly to check its physical, inorganic, organic, microbiological and radiological characteristics. These results are then analysed to confirm that quality is maintained as the water travels through the distribution system on its way to homes and workplaces in Ottawa.“We recognize how important drinking water is and we take great pride in the quality of our water,” said Peter Hume, Chair of the City’s Planning and Environment Committee. “We support the Province in its efforts to protect our drinking water supply. They have created a number of safety nets to ensure our drinking water quality, including the adoption of the Clean Water Act, and the City supports these initiatives completely. We also perform over 125,000 water quality tests per year covering over 350 different parameters to ensure our water meets the highest standards.”To access the Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s Annual Report, please visit http://www.ontario.ca/drinkingwater/246898.pdf.
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