About Tap Water in Peel
How your tap water is treated
In the Region of Peel, drinking water comes from one of three sources:
- Lake Ontario
- A regionally-owned well
- A private well
Lake Ontario
Regardless of the source of your water, the Region of Peel makes it a priority to ensure you have safe, clean drinking water every time you turn on the tap.
Treating water is the first step in the important process of supplying safe and reliable drinking water.
The Region of Peel owns two water treatment facilities on the shore of Lake Ontario. The Ontario Clean Water Agency operates these facilities on behalf of the Region.
These systems are “lake-based,” meaning the source of the drinking water is Lake Ontario. They provide water to the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and to some parts of the Town of Caledon.
Ultra Violet reactors at the Lorne Park Water Treatment Facility
For well-based drinking water, see Water in rural Caledon.
Since 2003, the Region’s Lakeview Water Treatment Facility has been undergoing significant upgrades to increase capacity and improve the treatment processes. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2014, at which point it will be one of the world’s largest membrane treatment facilities.
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This is a state-of-the-art filtration process that provides multiple levels of treatment to clean your water.
Steps in the water treatment process:
- Chlorine: Provides primary disinfection and controls zebra mussels. Chlorine is also added at the end of the treatment process before the water leaves the plants and enters the distribution system. This maintains the water’s quality as it travels to homes and businesses through a network of water mains.
- Ozone: Ozone is added to the water to kill microorganisms and break down organic particles. Ozone also removes tastes and odour-causing compounds.
- Biologically activated carbon: At this stage, water is filtered through tiny pieces of carbon. The biological activity removes organic material from the water.
- Membrane filtration: During this stage, small particles and microorganisms are removed by filtering the water through membrane fibres. The microscopic holes in the membranes prevent contaminants from passing through.
Take a step-by-step look at the water treatment process.
Want a quick overview of the water treatment process?
Follow Barry on a visual tour of the Lakeview Water Treatment Facility.
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The Region of Peel's second water treatment facility, Lorne Park Water Treatment Facility, is also being upgraded and expanded to increase capacity and incorporate state-of-the-art technology.
Once the upgrade is completed in late 2012, Lorne Park will be able to treat 500 million litres of water per day and will be the largest retrofitted, municipal membrane water filtration system in the world. Like Lakeview, Lorne Park uses multiple levels of treatment as part of the overall process.
Steps in the water treatment process:
- Chlorine: Provides primary disinfection and control of zebra mussels. Chlorine is also added at the end of the treatment process before the water leaves the plants and enters the distribution system. This maintains the water’s quality as it travels to homes and businesses through a network of water mains.
- Membrane Filtration: During this stage, small particles and microorganisms are removed by filtering the water through membrane fibres. The microscopic holes in the membranes prevent contaminants from passing through.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Light: Filtered water passes through these units, which disinfect water by inactivating microorganisms. These UV units can also be used for taste and odour control.
- Granular Activated Carbon Contactors: Provides supplemental taste and odour control.
In 2011, Peel treated nearly 209 billion litres of water! That's enough water to cover the entire Peel Region in water almost two centimetres deep.
Next: Water Distribution in Peel
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