Where does the water come from?
The municipal wells draw groundwater from a sand and gravel aquifer that is replenished by water that infiltrates through the Carp ridge.
How is the water treated and distributed?
Chlorine is added to the well water to disinfect it. Treated water is then stored in an underground reservoir before entering the distribution system. The City of Ottawa drinking water system operators must adhere to the strict requirements for the treatment, testing and distribution of drinking water specified in the Safe Drinking Water Act. The water is consistently in compliance with Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards.
How is the drinking water source protected?
Ontario’s Clean Water Act was created specifically to protect drinking water at the source rather than simply relying on water treatment to deliver safe, clean water. Because of work completed under the Clean Water Act, the Village of Carp now has a mapped Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) that is protected through policies in the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan.
