Drinking Water
The County of Brant is committed to providing safe drinking water that meets the requirements of legislation and regulations. The County takes many measures to ensure water is tested regularly and homeowners have the information they need about their drinking water.
If you have concerns about unusual taste, odour or colour in your municipal drinking water, please contact the County of Brant Water Division. The Water Division can only address issues with municipal wells and infrastructure.
If you have concerns about your drinking water from your private well, please visit the Brant County Health Unit website or call 519.753.4937
Water testing
Samples from all municipal wells including treated and raw water are collected for bacteriological analysis once a week.
We conduct inorganic and organic testing quarterly, including all parameters required by the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS).
Distribution system samples are collected once a week by Water Division staff at approximately 50 locations. Chlorine levels are measured at the time of sample collection. The samples are analyzed for:
- Total Coliform
- Escherichia Coli
- Background Count on Total Coliform
Chlorine
To ensure your water is protected from harmful bacteria and microorganisms, safe levels of disinfectant (chlorine) are added to the water distribution system.
Disinfecting with chlorine kills germs and provides critical protection. Chlorine will naturally disappear from your water within a few hours, after it runs from the tap. If you prefer to not drink water with chlorine in it, you can put an open container of tap water in your refrigerator overnight.
Flouride
Flouride is added in the Paris drinking water system. Hydrofluosilicic acid is precisely metered into the water to raise the natural fluoride concentration to about 0.5 to 0.8 ppm (parts per million). This helps prevent tooth decay.
Hardwater
The County of Brant's municipal drinking water systems rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply. Drinking water in these five (5) systems is considered to be very hard water.
Water is considered hard when it contains large amounts of dissolved calcium, magnesium and other minerals. The minerals contributing to hardness are safe to drink but create scale build-up in pipes, appliances, water heaters and on dishes. As a result, residents in the areas often use water softeners to remove the hardness of the water.
For more information regarding water hardness in the County of Brant including levels and what they mean, view the Water Hardness in the County of Brant Municipal Drinking Water Systems Guide (PDF).
Annual reports
The County of Brant completes annual reports for all five drinking water systems: