Durham Region celebrates World Water Day on March 22

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham is reminding residents about the value of water and the importance of practising water efficiency by celebrating World Water Day on March 22.

Durham Region’s municipal water supply customers have access to clean, safe drinking water delivered in an economical manner, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. About 95 per cent of water in Durham’s system comes from Lake Ontario, with the rest coming from underground sources and Lake Simcoe.

Municipal drinking water in Durham Region goes through a rigorous purification process. It is screened, treated, and filtered to remove impurities; disinfected; and then pumped through the distribution system before being delivered to homes and businesses on the municipal water supply system.

Water is a precious commodity and by introducing water-efficient practices at home the amount of water that needs to be treated at Regional facilities can be reduced. For example, a leaking toilet can lose more than 1,000 litres of water per week. Residents can get more water efficiency tips by visiting durham.ca/WaterEfficiency.

The 2022 World Water Day is highlighting Groundwater - Making the Invisible Visible. Durham Region’s rural urban communities are serviced by municipal groundwater systems. This precious water resource is managed utilizing the provincial regulatory requirements which evolved from the Walkerton Water tragedy. A multi-barrier approach ensures safe drinking water is provided by source water protection, water treatment, inspection, testing, and distribution.

Durham Region is investing $19.8 million into the municipal groundwater systems and plans to invest an additional $39.0 million over a 9-year period.

Learn more at durham.ca/water.

Quote:

“As our population grows, Durham Region recognizes the importance of maintaining our water infrastructure to ensure our residents on the municipal water supply have access to clean, safe drinking water. World Water Day is an excellent reminder of the value of water, as we know this important natural resource requires protection. We will continue to provide residents and businesses with tips and information to ensure we are all using water efficiently."

-        John Presta, Director of Environmental Services, Region of Durham

Quick facts:

• World Water Day is on March 22 every year. It is an annual United Nations Observance, started in 1993, that celebrates water and raises awareness of the two billion people currently living without access to safe water.
• Durham’s water distribution system includes 13 water storage facilities, 8 combined water storage and pumping facilities, 10 pumping stations, and 2,576 kilometres of watermains.
• The Region owns and operates 13 water supply plants across the Region’s eight municipalities.
• Residents looking for more ways to be water efficient at home can check out the Region’s Be Water Smart video series.

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For media requests, please contact CorporateCommunications@durham.ca.