From source to sink
Where Kawartha Lakes water comes from
A plain-language tour of the lakes, rivers, or wells that feed Kawartha Lakes, the plants that clean the water, and how it reaches kitchen taps. Lab grades for hardness, lead, and pH live on the water quality page.
On the map
Where Kawartha Lakes water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityKawartha Lakes
Municipal service area
- Treatment plantLindsay Water Treatment Plant
Approximate pin near Kawartha Lakes (exact plant coordinates pending)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate for orientation, not legal survey points.
Deep dive for households
Kawartha Lakes drinking water starts as a mix of surface water and wells. The named sources on the utility record are Scugog River (Lindsay DWS , primary urban system), Multiple other CKL systems: lakes/rivers (Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, etc.) and fifteen groundwater systems. That is the water that eventually reaches kitchen taps after treatment, not a separate bottled brand.
Water is cleaned at Lindsay Water Treatment Plant before it enters city pipes. Class IV: ballasted flocculation, sedimentation, dual-media GAC/sand filters, sodium hypochlorite, CO₂ and NaOH pH adjustment. Serves Lindsay and Oakwood.
After treatment, water moves through pumps, storage, and underground mains to reach streets and buildings. City operates 21 drinking-water systems. Lindsay is the large surface plant; profile centres on Lindsay as the namesake urban core.
One detail that makes Kawartha Lakes water feel local: Kawartha Lakes is a federation of systems,Lindsay drinks Scugog River while many villages drink wells or other Kawartha lakes. Lab grades for hardness, lead, and pH sit on the city water quality page; this overview is about the route the water travels.
Where it starts
Mixed surface and groundwater
A blend of surface water and wells, depending on the neighbourhood or season.
Research confidence: high
Named source waters
- Scugog River (Lindsay DWS - primary urban system)
- Multiple other CKL systems: lakes/rivers (Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, etc.) and fifteen groundwater systems
Treatment plants
These are the buildings that filter and disinfect water before it enters city pipes.
Lindsay Water Treatment Plant
Class IV: ballasted flocculation, sedimentation, dual-media GAC/sand filters, sodium hypochlorite, CO₂ and NaOH pH adjustment. Serves Lindsay and Oakwood.
How it reaches your street
City operates 21 drinking-water systems. Lindsay is the large surface plant; profile centres on Lindsay as the namesake urban core.