Chlorine Taste & Odour
Utility staff and certified technicians continuously monitor the water to ensure that the water arriving at your tap is both potable (safe to drink) and palatable (pleasing to drink).
Our water comes from a protected underground aquifer. The water is passed through sand filters to remove iron, manganese and any other particulate matter. Enough chlorine is added to the water to disinfect and ensure that your water is protected from harmful bacteria and micro-organisms.
Some customers can be sensitive to changes in chlorine levels and will notice the fluctuations more than others. These changes in the chlorine taste and odor generally pass on their own after a few hours, and are not cause for alarm. Even though these changes may be detected, the chlorine level is still well within the accepted range.
Sodium Information
Residents on sodium-restricted diets are advised that Calabogie’s water has an average concentration of 75 mg/L. Using a water softener in your home will increase the sodium level in your drinking water and contributes to a person’s daily sodium intake. Overall, sodium from municipally supplied drinking water is responsible for a very small fraction of the total sodium consumed daily.
Health Canada’s aesthetic guideline for sodium in drinking water is 200 mg/L. This means that above the guideline, water has a noticeably salty taste but is not harmful to healthy people. Calabogie Utilities notifies the local Medical Officer of Health when the sodium concentration is 20 mg/L or greater as required in the Ontario Drinking Water Systems Regulation 170/03 under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This is so that physicians may provide support to their patients who have been medically advised to follow sodium–restricted diets. Sodium in water at this concentration is not a health concern for healthy individuals.