If you live in York Region, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be in hot water. Or in cold water, for that matter. After all, the Region received “excellent scores” in the most recent drinking water report card.
It scored 99.98 per cent or water samples meeting Ontario’s drinking water quality standards and an inspection score of 100 per cent in the Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s Annual Report Card for the provincial government’s 2019-2020 fiscal year. In 2020, all Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks inspections of the Region’s drinking water systems scored 100 per cent.
“Scoring 100 per cent demonstrates the efficiency of our advanced systems and resilience of our staff working tirelessly to provide access to clean, safe, reliable drinking water, even throughout a pandemic,” York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson says. “Year after year, residents can feel assured the water they use daily is meeting the highest standards.”
Water in York Region is delivered through a two-tier system. The Region operates and maintains 15 drinking water supply systems, which provide water to the nine local cities and towns. Water is then distributed to residents and businesses by those cities and towns, which collectively maintain their drinking water distribution systems.
The Region’s compliance approach includes source water protection, operator training, water treatment, extensive monitoring, and testing and emergency preparedness. Water quality reports for your community water systems can be found at york.ca/drinkingwater. In 2020, the Ontario Public Works Association recognized York Region for management innovation as a leader in drinking water data management and transparency with the public.
