Water in the Community: From Lake Ontario to us Thursday, March 25 th

Our water comes from a pipe that is located 2 km out in Lake Ontario. Is our Drinking water safe? Apparently the answer is yes. Although there are toxins in it, However the count is very low. Show film “Lake Ontario Drinking Water” Brampton and Mississauga’s Drinking Water

Peel The green lines represent the water supply that comes from lake Ontario to our area

This is a sketch of the waste treatment plant in Mississauga. Notice the water flowing directly into lake Ontario Also note that just around the corner is the drinking water intake pipe.

Low lift pumps draw the lake water into the treatment plant. Intake

As lake water enters the intake, it is chlorinated. The chlorine kills bacteria and prevents zebra mussels from clogging up the pipe. Intake

As the water enters the treatment facility, it passes through the traveling screen. The screen prevents items such as fish, sticks and aquatic plants from entering the treatment facility and damaging equipment.

After this stage the water goes through Coagulation Coagulation assists with the removal of turbidity and suspended matter (particles) in the water. A coagulant (acidified aluminum sulphate or Alum) is added to the water. This coagulant attaches itself to particles in the water making them sticky The rapid mixer thoroughly mixes the coagulant and water. Then the water goes through a Flocculation Process Coagulation

Flocculation is the process of slow mixing that helps the sticky particles collide with each other, forming larger and heavier particles called floc. The next step is sedimentation. Flocculation

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Floc particles are removed from the water by inclined plate settlers. The floc particles land on the surface of the plate settlers. As more and more floc accumulates, it slides down the incline forming settled solids at the bottom of the tank. The settled solids are removed and transferred to the waste water treatment facility Sedimentation

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Filtration removes remaining Floc particles and chlorine-resistant bacteria. The water travels through layers of granular activated carbon, sand and gravel. Water starts at the top of the filter and moves down by gravity. Filtration

Chemicals are added to the water The process of disinfection destroys harmful pathogens such as E. coli and Giardia. Chlorine is the most common disinfectant used in water treatment. Fluoride is added to the finished water to prevent cavities in our teeth.

High lift pumps move treated water into the water distribution system and reservoirs. The finished water is then stored in a reservoir and pumped into our communities through the water distribution system.

Backwash Treatment Facility Every few days, the filters are backwashed (cleaned). Clean water is pumped up and through the filter media, lifting and flushing out the floc particles that have accumulated in the filter. The backwash water is stored in holding tanks and then treated in the backwash treatment facility

Diesel-powered generators provide auxiliary or standby power for the facility. Standby power ensures we can provide water in case of an emergency such as a massive power failure. Approximately 175 billion litres of water are treated each year in Peel

Is the water safe to drink? Yes? No? Maybe so? The water that comes from the treatment centre is perfectly fine to drink. However, if the infrastructure in a building is bad, then the water maybe bad.

What is meant by the term infrastructure? Infrastructure means all the things that make a city or building work. For example the electrical lines, roads, sewers, communication lines. So when we talk about water and the infrastructure of the building we are talking about the pipes. Some buildings are so old that the pipes may have lead in them. This is particularly true with building older than about 1965.

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