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Cambridge Drinking Water Quality
By OpenStats · Built from official Canadian sources
Regional estimateC
Water quality grade
Fair
Graded against Health Canada drinking water guidelines
Lead within guidelinepH in range
Hardness vs provincial average156 mg/L · prov. avg 182 mg/L
Lead vs provincial average0.4 μg/L · prov. avg 0.4 μg/L
Hardness
156 mg/L
Lead
0.4 μg/L
≤ 5 μg/L
pH
7.4
6.5–8.5 range
Hardness
156 mg/L
Hard
Lead
0.4 μg/L
Max: 5 μg/L
pH
7.4
6.5–8.5
Chlorine
0.9 mg/L
Max: 4 mg/L
From source to sink
Where Cambridge water comes from
Lakes, rivers, wells, and treatment plants behind the kitchen tap, in plain language. Chemistry grades above are a separate lab snapshot; this section is the route the water travels.
Open the full tap storyOn the map
Where Cambridge water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityCambridge
Municipal service area
- Source waterGrand River
Source water
- Treatment plantRegion of Waterloo well supplies and Mannheim Water Treatment Plant
Approximate pin near Cambridge (exact plant coordinates pending)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate for orientation, not legal survey points.
Where it starts
Mixed surface and groundwater
Research confidence: high
Named source waters
- Groundwater aquifers (Region of Waterloo wells)
- Grand River
Treatment plants
Region of Waterloo well supplies and Mannheim Water Treatment Plant
Region owns and treats supply for Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. Much of Cambridge is fed by local wells (UV and hypochlorite). Parts of Cambridge are in the Mannheim Service Area that also uses Grand River water treated at Mannheim in Kitchener.
How it reaches your street
Region of Waterloo supplies treated water into the Integrated Urban System; the City of Cambridge operates local distribution, hydrants, and billing.
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Reading this page
Cambridge's most recent drinking water sample (2026-07-22) reports hardness of 156 mg/L, classified as hard, and pH 7.4, drawn from a surface water source and treated at Cambridge Water Treatment Plant. Lead measured 0.4 μg/L and fluoride 0.5 mg/L.
Free chlorine measured 0.9 mg/L in this sample. No E. coli was detected in this sample.
Cambridge's hardness of 156 mg/L is below the Ontario average of 182 mg/L across 51 tracked municipalities, with a provincial average pH of 7.5.
These readings summarize a single compliance snapshot, not a certification of the water reaching your tap. Test your own water periodically, especially on a private well, and consider a softener if hardness is classified hard or very hard.
How to use this page: read the headline metrics first, then where the water comes from (map and tap story), then the parameter table and source footer.
Health parameters meet Health Canada limits; turbidity above the 1 NTU typical target.
One or more parameters exceed a Health Canada drinking water guideline or turbidity target.
Figure 1 · From source to sink
How drinking water reaches your tap
Compared to provincial average
Ontario · 51 cities in sample
Hardness (city vs Ontario avg)156 mg/L
pH (city vs Ontario avg)7.4
Lead (city vs Ontario avg)0.4 μg/L
Fluoride (city vs Ontario avg)0.5 mg/L
Provincial average: hardness 182 mg/L · pH 7.5 · lead 0.4 μg/L · fluoride 0.6 mg/L
Full parameters
| Parameter | Reading | Health Canada guideline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 156 mg/L | No health limit (aesthetic) | Compliant |
| pH | 7.4 | 6.5–8.5 | Compliant |
| Lead | 0.4 μg/L | ≤ 5 μg/L | Compliant |
| Fluoride | 0.5 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | Compliant |
| Chlorine (free) | 0.9 mg/L | ≤ 4 mg/L | Compliant |
| Turbidity | 3.7 NTU | ≤ 1 NTU (typical target) | Exceeds guideline |
Alberta water licences
WaterRegister.ca
On a private well or holding an Alberta water allocation licence? Water Register maps EPA licence records, transfer comparables, and watershed context across the province.
Explore WaterRegister.ca →Drinking water filters and test kits
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Source · ECCC / municipal open data (seed). Last updated 2026-07-22. Refreshed on the site's automated schedule.