London's Water Supply

Where does our water come from?

London has had several sources of drinking water over the past 150 years. In the days of the early settlers, the Thames River was used for drinking water as well as for transportation. Since that time, both surface water (lakes and rivers) and groundwater (wells) sources have been used. Springbank Park, Pond Mills and the Beck Wells Systems were used as water sources. In 1967 the size and the needs of the City contributed to the requirement of a pipeline from Lake Huron. In 1995, the surface water supply system was expanded to Lake Erie by connecting to the Elgin Area Water Supply System.

Water from Lake Huron and Lake Erie are drawn and treated using separate water systems referred to as the Lake Huron Water Supply System and the Elgin Area Water Supply System. These systems are managed by a Board of elected representatives (or collectively known as the Joint Boards) from the 14 municipalities who obtain their drinking water from these systems. Groundwater wells are only used during an emergency as a back-up water source for London.

Together, these two water supply systems provide approximately 150 million litres of treated water every day. London using about 85% of the water treated at the Lake Huron plant and the remainder comes from the Lake Erie plant.

Water at Lake Huron enters our water supply system just north of Grand Bend. It is clarified and purified at the Grand Bend Filtration Plant and then pumped through a 1.2 meter diameter pipeline to the 109 million liter reservoirs at Arva (just north of London). This water supply system - from Grand Bend to Arva - is called the Lake Huron Water Supply system. From Arva, the water is then pumped into the City of London water distribution system.

Lake Erie water is drawn from the lake and purified at the Elgin plant located east of Port Stanley. The Elgin Water Supply System, which was expanded to include the City of London in 1994, supplies the cities of St. Thomas and London and several smaller communities. Before water reaches London it is stored in a 27,300,000 litre (or 6 million gallon) reservoir located northeast of St. Thomas.

The City of London water system has 1,450 km of pipelines, 6,600 fire hydrants and 90,000 water meters. London also has several underground wells. These are maintained for use as emergency water supply.

Up until 1993, the Ministry of the Environment was responsible for water and sewage projects. In 1993, the Province created the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) a crown corporation which focuses on the operation of water and sewage systems.

Stormwater Drainage System

Stormwater originates from the natural flow of water from rain and snow. London’s system includes thousands of catchbasins, hundreds of kms of sewer pipes, numerous channels and more than 60 management pools, 110 kms of creeks and the Thames River.

Wastewater Treatment System

London has over 1,300 km of sanitary sewer. The quality of effluent has continually improved over the last 40 years, while the quantity has more than doubled.

Source: London’s CLEAR Network – Drinking Water Report http://www.clear.london.ca/Drinking_Water.html

How is our water treated?

Our drinking water goes through a treatment process involving settling tanks and filtration to remove particles. Chemicals are used in the treatment process to provide a safe and aesthetically pleasing drinking water. Alum is used to help settle out finer sediments, chlorination to kill microorganisms and fluoride to help prevent cavities. For more info refer to: (http://www.watersupply.london.ca/water_education.html)

Water testing is conducted continuously to ensure a safe and reliable source of drinking water. Both the water treatment and water distribution systems are maintained to safeguard our water and prevent contamination. The Joint Boards manage the water system from the Great Lakes source to the city boundary while the City manages the distribution system which ensures the water quality and quantity for our residents. Water testing results satisfy or exceed government requirements and standards (refer to drinking water test results).

Where does our water go?

Where does our water go?
Water used in our sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and toilets goes to a sewage treatment plant. This wastewater is treated before being discharged into the Thames River. Water that runs off our eavestroughs, lawns, driveways and streets enters the storm sewer system and is discharged directly into the Thames River.

Every human needs about 2.4 litres of water each day to survive. An additional 5 litres per person is required for basic needs such as cooking and washing. Some countries live very close to this minimum water requirement. In Kenya, for example, the average daily water use per person is 13.6 litres. In contrast, the average Canadian uses up to 300 litres of water per day. If we include industrial water use in this figure, it increases by approximately 50%. Only the United States exceeds our per capita water consumption.

It is clear that we can make changes to use water more efficiently. This will help us maintain a sustainable supply of clean water, something essential to our survival.

A low-flow showerhead can save 42,000 litres of hot water each year - enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.

How we use water in our home

In London, the average person uses about 250 Litres of water each day in their home. Most of this (75 to 80%) is used in the bathroom. While 20-25% is used in the kitchen and drinking use, washing clothes, and general household cleaning.

A tap dripping once per second wastes about 795 litres of water a month or 17 bathtubs a year!

Ways to protect water quality

Practically everything we do affects the environment and our water supply. There are many things each of us can do to protect water quality such as:

• Avoid hazardous cleaning products
• Don't pour substances like paint, paint thinners and degreasers down the drain - take them to the household hazardous waste drop off site
• Don't use coloured toilet paper (the dyes are pollutants)
• Avoid pesticide use at your home
• Buy organic (pesticide-free) fruits and vegetables
• Maintain septic systems regularly (have sludge pumped every 2 years) and don't use septic system cleaners
• Eliminate the use of salt on driveways and sidewalks - use calcium or corn ice-removal substitute
• Use phosphate free soaps (especially in dishwashers) to reduce sewage treatment

• Install a low-flow aerator on the sink faucet and showerhead to reduce water flow (some of the water is then replaced with air, so that the water pressure remains constant)
• Limit your showers to five minutes
• Consider installing a low flow toilet using only 6 litres per flush
• Fill the sink rather than run water when rinsing dishes
• Collect the water used for washing vegetables to water plants
• Avoid using garbage disposals (they use enormous amounts of water)
• Wash dishes and clothes only when you have a full load and adjust the water level controls
• Install a toilet dam or water displacement device to reduce flush volume
• Avoid flushing unnecessarily (do not use the toilet as a wastebasket)
• Keep a container of water in the fridge instead of letting the faucet run to get cold water
• Fill the sink for shaving and don't run the water continually when brushing your teeth