The Carleton Place Drinking Water System is comprised of the water treatment plant and distribution system which together provide a supply of potable drinking water to approximately 10,000 people in the Town of Carleton Place.

Where does the water come from?

An intake draws water from the Mississippi River and directs it into the water treatment plant.

How is the water treated and distributed?

Raw water from the river is pretreated and screened to remove solids. Water then enters rapid mixing chambers where a coagulant and polymer are added to bind the fine particles together forming “floc”. Fine sand is added to help the floc settle quickly in the two settling tanks. A collection hopper at the bottom of each settling tank collects the floc while the clear water flows into collection troughs at the top. Water then passes through filters, is disinfected using chlorine gas and then fluoride is added before the water enters the distribution system. The Carleton Place 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, Carleton Place now has a mapped Intake Protection Zone (IPZ) that is protected through policies in the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan.