Water Quality

The Municipality of Greenstone is committed to providing clean and safe drinking water to our serviced communities and has engaged the services of Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to act as the licensed operator of our water treatment facilities, providing 24/7 monitoring of our water quality.

Restoring water service

Has your building been closed or on low occupancy over the last few months? View the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association's fact sheet for building owners and operators to safely reopen your building's water services. The water in your building could be stagnant and can pose serious health risks if service is not restored properly. 

Report a water quality concern

Changes in tap water may occur for a variety of reasons and in some cases it can be resolved by running your water until the water is clear (approximately 15 minutes). If you have an issue with your tap water such as discolouration, odour, low water pressure, or any other water quality issue arises, you can report your concerns by filling out our water quality complaint form. We will have a representative of OCWA contact you. Water quality concerns are recorded so we can review the performance of our water treatment systems.

Private wells and septic systems

In Northern Ontario, municipalities are not the regulating authority for wells and septic systems. Contact the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TDBHU) for information on water quality testing for private wells, information on private septic systems, or to make an appointment with an inspector. We encourage you to view the septic tank FAQ's offered by the health unit.

Before you install a private well or septic system in the Municipality of Greenstone, please familiarize yourself with our building permit guidelines and zoning regulations.

The Municipality of Greenstone has introduced By-law 21-04 prohibiting the use of private wells in Beardmore. Review the bylaw for details on restrictions or contact us for more information.

Drinking water advisories

For any boil water or swimming advisories, view our news feed or visit the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU).

For information on Sodium Advisories, please consult with a local health nurse through the TBDHU. Reference:  Beardmore, Nakina

Wastewater overflows and by-pass events

If there is a wastewater overflow or by-pass event, we will provide a notice alert on our news feed and on Facebook.

For concerns about fish consumption, please refer to the Eating Ontario Fish guide and interactive map to identify types and amounts of fish that are safe to eat from fishing locations.

How these events occur

Our wastewater treatment facilities and distribution systems may experience bypassing because of high rainfall events that overwhelm the capacity of the infrastructure. All bypasses are promptly reported to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Spills Action Centre and to Public Health Services as required.

Watermain and hydrant flushing

Notice of flushing

The Municipality will notify you about flushing events in advanced on our news feed and Facebook.

Flushing often agitates minerals that form on the inside of water pipes and the sediment produced may cause cloudy or discoloured water for a brief period. This side effect is not hazardous. You can clear the water by turning on the cold water from your bathtub tap (or other tap without a screen) to flush the service line that leads to your house

Water quality management

You may see OCWA staff in our communities performing water sampling for testing during regular maintenance activities such as watermain flushing activities and water break repairs to ensure water quality standards are met. OCWA administrators also work with the Municipality to fulfill provincial reporting responsibilities. Once a year, each water treatment facility is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.