Drinking Water
Safe drinking water is necessary for many everyday activities like drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, and cooking.
Municipal water
Municipal water is treated and tested to ensure it meets the Ontario Drinking Water Standards and that it is safe to drink. The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change monitor municipal water systems to ensure they are in compliance with Ontario Regulation 170/03 Drinking Water System.
The majority of Kingston's drinking water comes from Lake Ontario, making it important to keep our lakes and rivers clean to ensure our water source is safe. Utilities Kingston samples this water supply regularly to ensure quality and safety.
Private well water
If you are on a private water supply such as a well, you should have your water tested at least three times a year to ensure it is free of harmful bacteria that could make you, your family or anyone who drinks it sick. You can reduce the risk of consuming contaminated water by knowing who to contact and how and when to test your water.
The Public Health Ontario Laboratory Water Testing service tests private, residential drinking water free of charge. To use this service, you must use a sampling kit provided by the Public Health Ontario Lab, which can be picked up at any KFL&A Public Health office, or at 181 Barrie Street in Kingston weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Follow the sampling instructions attached to the bottle and ensure the water sample will be received by the testing lab within 48 hours of collection.
The reliability of your drinking water test results depends on the proper:
Collection
Storage
Transport
How to sample your private well water:
Step 1
Pick up a sampling kit at any KFL&A Public Health office, or the Ontario Public Health Lab.
Step 2
Take the sample indoors. Remove any aerators, screens, or filters on the tap.
Step 3
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Step 4
Wipe the mouth of the tap with a household disinfectant before collecting the sample.
Step 5
Let the water run cold for at least 2 minutes before collecting the sample.
Step 6
Before opening the bottle, make sure the seal of the cap hasn't been broken. Take the cap off the bottle just before you collect the sample. Don't touch the inside lip of the sampling bottle or its cap. Otherwise, you may contaminate your sample. Don't rinse the sampling bottle.
Step 7
Fill the bottle to the marked line. Make sure the water doesn't overflow.
Step 8
Fill in the shaded areas of the requisition form included in the sampling kit. Keep the sample cold until delivered. Refrigerate but do not freeze. Use ice packs when transporting the sample.
Step 9
Take your collected water sample to KFL&A Public Health or the Public Health Ontario Lab within 24 hours.
Water sample pick up and drop off locations: |
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KFL&A Public Health - Kingston221 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, ON Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
KFL&A Public Health - Sharbot Lake1130 Elizabeth Street, Sharbot Lake, ON Tuesday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Office is closed, noon to 1 p.m.)
KFL&A Public Health - Cloyne14209 Highway 41, Cloyne, ON Wednesday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Office is closed, noon to 1 p.m.)
KFL&A Public Health - Napanee99 Advance Avenue Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Public Health Ontario Lab181 Barrie Street Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
What to do if your test results indicate your water is unsafe to drink:
- Stop using the water for drinking, food preparation, or brushing teeth, unless it has been boiled for at least one minute, and you have allowed it to cool before consuming.
- Contact your local KFL&A Public Health office. A public health inspector can help you interpret your test results and provide information on corrective measures if your water supply is found unsafe.
To improve the long-term quality of your drinking water, Public Health Ontario recommends that you:
- Disinfect your well and entire household pumping system if your test results have shown significant levels of bacterial contamination. Public Health Ontario offers a Well Disinfection Tool on their website.
- Re-test your well water to make sure your drinking water supply no longer contains significant amounts of bacterial contaminants.
- Get your well and plumbing system professionally inspected if your drinking water quality has not improved. A licensed well contractor can give you expert advice to help fix the problem.
- Contact your local public health agency or the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for detailed information.
Private well water resources:
- Guide to Well Water Treatment and Maintenance - Health Canada
- Well Maintenance and Climate Change - Ministry of Environment
- Well Records - Ministry of Environment
Cisterns
- How to Clean and Disinfect a Cistern (PDF) - Alberta Health Services
Small drinking water systems
If you operate a small drinking water system you must meet the requirements of O. Reg. 319/08 Small Drinking Water Systems. If your small drinking water system has not been supplying water to users for a period of more than 60 days, you must notify the Medical Officer of Health in writing of your intention to reopen the small drinking water system.
The owner and operator of the small drinking water system to which the above requirements apply shall ensure that no water is supplied to a user of that system until the Medical Officer of Health is notified.
Small drinking water system resources and forms:
Free water bottle refills in KFL&A |
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KFL&A Public Health and Utilities Kingston have partnered to promote the Blue W program in Kingston, as our municipal drinking water meets or exceeds all provincial water quality standards. Blue W is a unique community-based program committed to promoting municipal tap water as a healthy, easily accessible alternative to purchasing bottled, often sugary, drinks. KFL&A residents and visitors can fill up their re-usable water bottles at any location within the community that is marked with a Blue W decal, free of charge. A map of all participating KFL&A locations can be searched on the Blue W website. If you have any specific questions about the water supply within our community, please contact City of Kingston or Utilities Kingston. |
