Drinking Water in Napanee (Backup Water System)
Under normal operation, raw water for the town is drawn from Lake Ontario, approximately 18 km south of the municipality. This source is within the Cataraqui Source Protection Area and is addressed in the Cataraqui Source Protection Plan.
The backup water source, the Napanee River, is within the Quinte Source Protection Region. The Napanee River has been the backup water source for the Town of Greater Napanee since 1982. If an emergency situation arises where transmission of water from Lake Ontario is interrupted for an extended period of time (such as a pipe rupture), the backup intake may be used. The Napanee Backup Intake draws water from the Napanee River at the head pond of the Springside Dam upstream of Napanee Falls on the west side of the river. Water is drawn through an operational gate, from a channel that brings water westward towards the treatment plant.
What is the water source?
The source of water for the Town Greater Napanee's backup intake is the Napanee River.
How is the water treated?
Click here more information on the treatment of Napanee water.
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 alone to deliver safe, clean water. Because of scientific work completed under this Act, the backup water supply for the Town of Greater Napanee now has a mapped Intake Protection Zone (IPZ) that is protected through policies in the Quinte Region Source Protection Plan.
Additional Resources
What is an Intake Protection Zone?