Clean, safe drinking water is essential to a healthy community. The Municipality of Port Hope owns and operates the Port Hope Drinking Water System, which supplies water to the community for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional use. Our drinking water comes from Lake Ontario.
Seasonal taste and odour episodes
Have you ever noticed an earthy taste and/or smell coming from the drinking water in the late summer and early fall? That is called seasonal taste and odour episodes and it is very common. Your water is safe to drink if you detect earthy or musty odours.
| What causes these taste and odour episodes? |
| These taste and odour episodes are caused by seasonal biological changes in Lake Ontario and typically occur when the lake temperature rises. These changes are not harmful to public health and the Municipality’s water quality is not otherwise affected. This is a typical occurrence in many other municipalities along the shores of the Great Lakes. |
| How do we know our water is safe to drink? |
| Laboratory testing of both the raw and treated water confirms that municipal water meets all Ontario Drinking Water Quality Management Standards as set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. In fact, the Municipality received a score of 100% on this year’s MECP Drinking Water System Inspection. |
| How can I reduce the taste and odour in my water? |
| To reduce the taste and odour in the drinking water residents can refrigerate a jug of water, or add ice cubes and a few drops of lemon juice to the water. |
Drinking water reports
View the drinking water system reports. The Municipality of Port Hope follows the testing, monitoring and reporting program outlined in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Quality Management System
The Municipality of Port Hope Quality Management System Operational Plan describes how the Municipality meets or exceeds the requirements outlined in the Ministry of the Environment’s Drinking Water Quality Management Standard. The Operational Plan states that we are committed to:
- Providing safe drinking water
- Obeying all applicable legislation and regulations
- Reviewing, maintaining and continually improving our drinking water system
- Treating and producing water that is clean and reliable
- Holding the highest standards of quality
- Operating in an environmentally responsible manner
- Providing a sustainable drinking water system
- Educating the public about the importance of clean drinking water
Email us for the full Quality Management System Operational Plan.
Water treatment
Our drinking water system consists of a water treatment plant and water distribution system. The Water Treatment Plant is located at 35 Marsh Street and uses membrane ultrafiltration technology and chlorination to treat raw water from Lake Ontario before it enters the distribution system.
This technology allows for a higher level of treatment in a smaller area in comparison to conventional water treatments. We do not add fluoride to the water and any fluoride that exists in our water is naturally occurring.
Water distribution system
Each time you turn on your tap, flush your toilet or water your lawn, you are receiving the highest quality drinking water that is transported through a complex network of reservoirs, pumping stations and trunk watermains.
We maintain:
- 100 km of watermains
- 550 fire hydrants
- 1,200 mainline water valves
- 4,820 residential and commercial water service connections and water meters