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Water and Sewage

The Township of Huron-Kinloss' Public Works Department oversees our water and wastewater systems. We are committed to delivering clean, reliable, and safe drinking water while using the Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS), which includes a DWQMS Operational Plan and DWQMS Financial Plan. Please see the Commitment and Endorsement letter and QMS Policy Statement here. Associated documents available upon request. 

Shutting off or turning your water on

When opening or closing a cottage for the season, weekend, or rental period, please contact us a minimum of three business days before to have your water turned on or off. There is no fee for this service.

Locates

If you are doing digging work at your property, please contact Ontario One Call for locates. You can ask for locates on Ontario One Call or call 1-800-400-2255. They finish locates within five business days.

Emergency situations

The after-hours emergency line at 1-866-299-5199 is for emergencies only. Routine turn off and turn on, locate requests for planned work and discoloured water at a location not used frequently are not emergencies. Please call 519-395-3735 during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for these issues.

If you are getting yellowish or brownish water from a tap that is used regularly, please flush your system by opening an outside tap and running for at least 20 minutes or until the water clears. If it does not clear, call our office at 519-395-3735 during regular business hours or the emergency line at 1-866-299-5199 for after hour calls.

Huron-Kinloss has naturally hard water. If you are concerned about the hard water, please call a local plumber about using a water softener. When setting up your water softener, please see the Grains of Hardness for your area. If you have any questions you may call us  at 519-395-3735 ext.133. 

Veolia Water tests and maintains the water systems. You can find weekly and quarterly test results attached below or receive a paper copy at the Municipal office. Rural properties with a private well can get more information about well water testing from Public Health Ontario.

 

Weekly Bacterial Sample Results 2023 - Lakeshore

Weekly Bacterial Sample Results 2023 - Lucknow

Weekly Bacterial Sample Results 2023 - Ripley

Weekly Bacterial Sample Results 2023 - Whitechurch

 

Quarterly Sample Results 2024-Lakeshore

Quarterly Sample Results 2024 -Lucknow

Quarterly Sample Results 2024 - Ripley

Quarterly Sample Results 2024 - Whitechurch

 

If you would like to review testing results from previous years, please contact the Public Works department at 519-395-3735 ext. 133.

Sample results

Sample results show sodium chloride and fluoride in our drinking water. Both are naturally found in ground water. Too much of either can be bad for your health. Please see the attached Sodium-Fluoride-Barium-Iron Water Results for data.

If you are on a sodium-restricted diet, you can learn more from our Sodium fact sheet or contact your doctor to discuss. If you have concerns about fluoride you can learn more from our Fluoride fact sheet or call your dentist. Also, the Whitechurch Drinking Water System has naturally occurring Barium.  If you have concerns about Barium you can learn more from our Barium fact sheet or speak with your health care provider.

If you have a private well you should test the water on a regular basis. Please see the following link for information on where to get water sample collection kits and drop-off locations.

Grey Bruce Public Health Private Drinking Water

Fees for non-metered municipal water and sewers are flat rate and set in the Water and Wastewater Fees By-Law. They are on your tax bill which is explained on the property taxes page. Metered water is billed each quarter and invoices can be paid via phone, internet, or in-person.

The Lawn Watering By-Law gives you time to water lawns and gardens (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) on even numbered days for houses with an even number and odd numbered days for houses with an odd numbered address, while helping to preserve our water supply and keep demand from getting too high.

Veolia Water flushes hydrants every spring and fall for system maintenance and to address water quality concerns.

Using a fire hydrant

If you need the use of a fire hydrant, you need permission from the Director of Public Works and to use a back flow prevention device. Please call the office at 519-395-3735.

Home owners are encouraged to have their water service turned off and the lines drained prior to leaving for an extended period of time.  Call the office three - four days ahead if you need this service.

Running Taps to Keep Water Moving

During the winter season, running a continuous stream of cold water may help prevent freezing.

As per the Frozen Services Policy, if loss of water service occurs due to freezing, the cost to attempt to thaw the service will be at the homeowner’s expense.  The homeowner shall be responsible to thaw the service line from the building to the municipal water main.

Properties in the Huronville Subdivision, from the east side of Penetangore Row and easterly (east side of Penetangore Row from Saratoga Rd to Huronville St, Anne Marie Cres, Deborah Dr, Heather Blvd, Keyes Circle, and Saratoga Rd), are connected to the Kincardine Water System which is operated by the Municipality of Kincardine.

Testing and reports

Kincardine uses the Drinking Water Quality Management System (DWQMS) for all the water systems that they operate, which includes a Huronville QMS Policy and Huronville QMS OpPlan. Also, they prepare an Annual Report of the Drinking Water System.

Drinking water source protection is an Ontario public health initiative.

Source water protection helps to protect your municipal sources of drinking water.

New tools to protect municipal drinking water sources (such as groundwater and surface water from Lake Huron, through the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006, include locally developed and provincially approved source protection plans. 

Check out this video from Ausable Bayfield Source Water Protection Team:

Wastewater and sewers

The communities of Lucknow and Ripley have sanitary sewer systems. Both systems treat waste with stabilization ponds, aerated lagoons and rapid infiltration basins.

Municipal Sewer hook-ups

The Sewer Use By-Law bans the connection of building foundation drains, sump pumps, eaves troughs and/or any other device into municipal sanitary sewers.

Reporting a plugged catch basin

Please call the Public Works Department at 519-395-3735 ext.133 to report a plugged catch basin.

Water reports

Each year, we prepare drinking water reports:

The Municipality of Kincardine prepares a  Kincardine Drinking  Water System report, which  feeds the Huronville Subdivision Distribution System. The Huronville Subdivision  Distribution System feeds the properties on the east side of Penetangore Row from Saratoga Rd to Huronville St, Saratoga Rd, Anne Marie Cres, Deborah Dr, Heather Blvd, and Keyes Circle.

Wastewater summary reports

Lucknow Wastewater Report and Ripley Wastewater Report about system operations are prepared each year.

The Municipality of Kincardine prepares the Kincardine Wastewater Report that services Huronville Subdivision and Inverlyn Lake Estates.

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