Water Treatment & Distribution
Drinking Water System
Contact Us
For more information
Call 905-546-2489 or
Email [email protected]
For a water or wastewater emergency
Call 905-546-2489
The City of Hamilton takes water from Lake Ontario then filters, cleans and treats it to supply Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Dundas, Ancaster, Waterdown, parts of Flamborough and Glanbrook with safe drinking water. The City also provides treated water to parts of Haldimand County and Halton.
Water treatment
Woodward Avenue Water Treatment Facility
Lake water enters an intake pipe and is pumped to the Woodward Avenue Water Treatment Facility. The water treatment process includes:
- pre-chlorination
- screening
- clarification by means of coagulation with polyaluminum chloride
- flocculation by mechanical mixing
- sedimentation
- filtration using granulated activated carbon in the filters to remove taste and odour
- chlorine and ammonia added to the filtered water to bring the combined chlorine residual to approximately 2.2 - 2.5 milligrams per litre
- hydrofluosilicic acid (fluoride) is added to the drinking water to promote dental health
The water treatment plant has a rated capacity of 909,000 m3/day (200 million gallons per day) and operates between one quarter and one third of its capacity.
View a diagram of the water treatment process
Water distribution
Treated water is pumped through the central water distribution system to residential homes and businesses in:
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Hamilton
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Stoney Creek
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Dundas
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Ancaster
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parts of Flamborough and Glanbrook
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parts of Haldimand County including Caledonia, York and Cayuga
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minor connections to Burlington in Halton
The City owns, operates and maintains the central and communal well water distribution systems, which includes approximately:
- 2,031 kilometres of water mains
- 12,755 fire hydrants
- 20,860 water valves
- 144,683 service connections
Well Water Treatment Facilities
Flouride is not added to community wells. The water treatment process is described below for these four areas. Carlisle, Freelton, Greensville & Lynden use groundwater as their drinking water source.
Learn more about these well water communities.
The water treatment process is described below for these four areas.
Water Supply System
- Drilled Water Well - FDC01
Treatment
Within the FDC01 well house:
- the wells are joined to a common header for flow metering
- disinfection is done using sodium hypochlorite (chlorine)
- Drilled Water Well - FDC02
- Drilled Water Well - FDC03
Within the FDC03R well house:
- wells are joined to a common header for flow metering
- Ultra Violet treatment system used for primary disinfection
- sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) used for secondary disinfection
- Online analyzers monitor and control various process aspects ensuring the quality of the treated water
- A chlorine contact chamber assists in ensuring adequate disinfection is achieved
- Drilled Water Well - FDC05
FDC05 is comprised of:
- a main well pump
- filtering system
- UV system for primary disinfection
- sodium hypochlorite metering for secondary disinfection
- instrumentation to monitor and control the well operation
One elevated water storage tank designed for peak hour water demand equalization, fire and emergency storage.
Water Supply System
- Drilled Water Well - FDF01
Treatment
- sodium hypochlorite used for primary disinfection
- online analyzers monitor and control various process aspects ensuring the quality of the treated water
- Drilled Water Well - FDF03
- comprised of a main well pump
- sodium hyochlorite disinfection
- instrumentation to monitor and control the well operation
One elevated water storage tank designed for peak hour water demand equalization, fire and emergency storage.
Water Supply System
- Drilled groundwater well - FDG01
Treatment
- main well pump
- filtering system
- a UV system for primary disinfection
- sodium hypochlorite metering for secondary disinfection
- instrumentation to monitor and control the well operation
Water Supply System
- Drilled groundwater well - FDL01
Treatment
- Untreated water enters the reservoir and in the first cell (aeration cell) compressed air is diffused into the water reducing the levels of hydrogen sulfide in the water.
- As water passes into the second cell (chlorination cell), sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) is injected into the water
- A second chlorination point is available on the high lift pump discharge to boost chlorine residual levels
- Online analyzers monitor and control various process aspects ensuring the quality of the treated water
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