The City of Ottawa supplies drinking water to 1,320 people in Munster Hamlet. There are two municipal wells constructed between 1969 and 1973 which are 116 metres and 122 metres deep.

Where does the water come from?

The municipal wells draw groundwater from the Nepean Sandstone Aquifer which is well-known for supplying a good volume of quality drinking water.

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, Munster Hamlet now has a mapped Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) that is protected through policies in the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan.