In our everyday lives, we tend to take things for granted. Like fresh, drinkable water. We turn on the tap and there it is. But how did it get to us?

In this two part series on the Kingston water system, we’ll see how the water gets to us and where it goes when we flush the toilet, or release it down the drain.

1. A large intake pipe stretches out one kilometre into Lake Ontario. Eighteen meters below the surface, a series of four intake bell mouths suck water into the Surface Chamber.
2. As the water passes from the Surface Chamber to the Low Lift Pumping Station, a solution of 12% Sodium Hypochlorite is added to the water to control Zebra Muscles and avoid significant chlorine residue being carried to the top of the filters.
3. In the Low Lift Pumping Station, the water is screened with a one inch mesh to remove weeds, fish, sticks and other debris.
4. As the water leaves the Low Lift Pumping Station, Aluminum Sulphate (Alum) is added to the water to act as a coagulant. This ensures that very fine particles clump together to form larger particles and make it easier to remove.
5. This clumping process (Flocculation) is accelerated in the Mixing Chambers where the water is mixed hydraulically.
6. Next, the water moves into the Settling Tanks where it’s slowed down and the large particles (Floc) sink to the bottom of the tank. The water at the top of the settling tanks is directed to the Filters.
7. The water flows through the Filters, traveling down through Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and sand and is collected in synthetic gravel-less under drains. This process removes the taste and odour causing compounds.
8. The water is then Chlorinated on its way to the Clear Well where it’s stored until it’s pumped out to the water towers and houses or to the underground reservoir.

The Central Water Processing plant can produce 118,000 cubic meters of water per day which is pumped through 300 km of water mains and shows up at our houses when we turn on the tap.

• Approximately 70 % of an adult’s body is water.
• Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. The water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain.
• Pure water (hydrogen and oxygen atoms) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.
• The earth is a closed system like a terrarium. It rarely loses or gains extra matter, which means the same water that existed on earth millions of years ago is still here.
• The total amount of water on earth is about 326 million cubic miles.
• By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 % of its total water amount.
• The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.
• A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.
• While the daily recommended amount of water is eight cups, not all of this water must be consumed in liquid form. Nearly every food or drink provides some water for the body.
• Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, preventing water from traveling to necessary locations in the body.
• Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.
• Much more fresh water is stored under the ground in aquifers than on the earth’s surface.