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Sault Ste. Marie Drinking Water Quality
By OpenStats · Built from official Canadian sources
Regional estimateB
Water quality grade
Good
Graded against Health Canada drinking water guidelines
Lead within guidelinepH in range
Hardness vs provincial average207 mg/L · prov. avg 182 mg/L
Lead vs provincial average0.7 μg/L · prov. avg 0.4 μg/L
Hardness
207 mg/L
Lead
0.7 μg/L
≤ 5 μg/L
pH
7
6.5–8.5 range
Hardness
207 mg/L
Very hard
Lead
0.7 μg/L
Max: 5 μg/L
pH
7
6.5–8.5
Chlorine
1.2 mg/L
Max: 4 mg/L
From source to sink
Where Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CitySault Ste. Marie
Municipal service area
- Source waterLake Superior
Source water
- Treatment plantSault Ste. Marie Water Treatment Plant (Gros Cap intake)
Approximate pin near Sault Ste. Marie (exact plant coordinates pending)
- Treatment plantPUC deep well supplies
Approximate pin near Sault Ste. Marie (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
- Lake Superior
- Groundwater wells (Goulais, Steelton, Shannon, Lorna)
Treatment plants
Sault Ste. Marie Water Treatment Plant (Gros Cap intake)
Surface plant treating Lake Superior water pumped from the Gros Cap intake; filtration and disinfection. Rated about 40,000 m³/d for primary disinfection constraints.
PUC deep well supplies
Six deep wells (Goulais, Steelton, Shannon, Lorna fields) disinfected and blended into the distribution system; Lorna wells held for higher-demand or emergency use.
How it reaches your street
PUC Services operates production and distribution for the city PUC. Three reservoirs provide roughly 52 million litres of storage (about 1-2 days of typical use).
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Confirm mg/L before sizing a unit
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Partner
Lab water test for Sault Ste. Marie taps
Municipal reports cover the plant. A Tap Score kit tests the water at a Sault Ste. Marie tap for a broader contaminant panel.
Lab kit partner link. We may earn a commission when tracking is active.
Reading this page
Sault Ste. Marie's most recent drinking water sample (2026-07-22) reports hardness of 207 mg/L, classified as very hard, and pH 7, drawn from a mixed water source and treated at Sault Ste. Marie Water Treatment Plant. Lead measured 0.7 μg/L and fluoride 0.7 mg/L.
Free chlorine measured 1.2 mg/L in this sample. No E. coli was detected in this sample.
Sault Ste. Marie's hardness of 207 mg/L is above 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.
All monitored parameters meet Health Canada guidelines.
Health parameters compliant; minor aesthetic factors such as hardness or pH near guideline edges.
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)207 mg/L
pH (city vs Ontario avg)7
Lead (city vs Ontario avg)0.7 μg/L
Fluoride (city vs Ontario avg)0.7 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 | 207 mg/L | No health limit (aesthetic) | Compliant |
| pH | 7 | 6.5–8.5 | Compliant |
| Lead | 0.7 μg/L | ≤ 5 μg/L | Compliant |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | Compliant |
| Chlorine (free) | 1.2 mg/L | ≤ 4 mg/L | Compliant |
| Turbidity | 0.8 NTU | ≤ 1 NTU (typical target) | Compliant |
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 →Water softeners for hard water
Very hard water. Whole-house softeners are the high-ticket fit; salt and test kits support the install.
As an Amazon Associate, OpenStats earns from qualifying purchases.
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- Shop on Amazon.caSoftener saltOngoing supply (high repurchase)
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- Shop on Amazon.caWater hardness test stripsConfirm mg/L before sizing a unit
- Shop on Amazon.caTDS meterQuick dissolved-solids check
Source · ECCC / municipal open data (seed). Last updated 2026-07-22. Refreshed on the site's automated schedule.