A History of Ontario's Water System

Ontario's first piped water supply was established in Toronto in 1837. It was a private operation intended for fire protection. Although some water was supplied for domestic use, demand for running water in the home was small up to 1873, when the municipality took over the operation. At this time, there was heavy growth in water system construction, and Ontario boasted 110 operating waterworks by 1900.

Wastewater system development did not move as quickly. Dilution (dumping wastewater into the nearest waterway) began to lose acceptance in the late 1800s as evidence of epidemics being caused by waterborne disease organisms grew. In 1882, 180 out of every 100,000 people died of diseases such as typhoid and cholera that had been traced to these organisms.

Filtration and disinfection were provided at 37 of 166 water supply plants in 1915, while sewage treatment systems were in their infancy. After the First World War, there was heavy growth in sewage treatment plants, and 70 municipalities had them by 1930.

The transfer of many early waterworks from private to public hands was a reaction to unsafe water, high costs and inadequate supplies for fire protection. In 1943, reacting to a lack of funds to maintain or expand systems, municipalities were allowed, for the first time, to finance projects by charging user fees.

In 1956, the Ontario Water Resources Commission was established with a mandate to build, finance and operate water and wastewater systems. The Federal government was also involved in providing grants to municipalities during the sixties and seventies through the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

In 1997, the Provincial government restructured its funding of municipal services, downloading the full cost of water and wastewater services onto the regions and municipalities, while transferring the title of all provincially owned assets in this sector. After a 3 year, $200 million transitional fund is exhausted, municipal governments will bear the full cost of these services.

Now, essentially all of Ontario's urban population receives piped water in the home, and over 80% is provided with wastewater services.