From source to sink
Where Peterborough water comes from
A plain-language tour of the lakes, rivers, or wells that feed Peterborough, 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 Peterborough water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityPeterborough
Municipal service area
- Source waterOtonabee River
Source water
- Treatment plantPeterborough Water Treatment Plant
Approximate pin near Peterborough (exact plant coordinates pending)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate for orientation, not legal survey points.
Deep dive for households
Peterborough drinking water starts as surface water (rivers, lakes, or reservoirs). The named source on the utility record is Otonabee River. That is the water that eventually reaches kitchen taps after treatment, not a separate bottled brand.
Water is cleaned at Peterborough Water Treatment Plant before it enters city pipes. Plant at 1230 Water Street North beside Riverview Park and Zoo. Dual Otonabee intakes, conventional coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation/filtration and chlorine disinfection. Rated capacity about 104 ML/d.
After treatment, water moves through pumps, storage, and underground mains to reach streets and buildings. High-lift pumping feeds city reservoirs and a distribution network with dry-barrel hydrants suited to freeze risk.
One detail that makes Peterborough water feel local: The city’s waterworks and the Riverview Park miniature-train dam sit on the same Otonabee reach,source water is an open river supply requiring full conventional treatment year-round. 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
Surface water
Rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, not underground wells as the main draw.
Research confidence: high
Named source waters
- Otonabee River
Treatment plants
These are the buildings that filter and disinfect water before it enters city pipes.
Peterborough Water Treatment Plant
Plant at 1230 Water Street North beside Riverview Park and Zoo. Dual Otonabee intakes, conventional coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation/filtration and chlorine disinfection. Rated capacity about 104 ML/d.
How it reaches your street
High-lift pumping feeds city reservoirs and a distribution network with dry-barrel hydrants suited to freeze risk.