Intake
Lake Ontario is the source for
the South Peel Water System
As lake water enters the intake
it is chlorinated
The chlorine kills bacteria and
prevents zebra mussels from
clogging up the pipe
Backwash Treatment
Facility
Backwash water contains the solids
removed from the filters
A coagulant is added to the backwash
water to help remove the suspended
particles by making them sticky;
forming floc
Clarifiers stir the backwash water and
cause the floc to settle to the bottom
and clean water to rise to the top
The settled solids are drained into the
sanitary sewer and pumped to the
Clarkson Wastewater
Treatment Plant to be treated
The clean water from the clarifiers is
de-chlorinated (removal of chlorine from
water) using sodium bisulphate before it
is returned to the lake
Large amounts of chlorine released into
the lake can kill aquatic life and disrupt
the ecosystem
Traveling Screen
As the water enters the treatment plant Backwash Pumps
it passes through the traveling screen
The screen prevents items such as fish,
sticks and aquatic plants from entering
the treatment facility and damaging
equipment
Diesel Generators and
Standby Power
Diesel powered generators provide
auxiliary or standby power for
the facility
Standby power ensures our ability
to provide water in case of an
emergency such as a massive
power failure
Low Lift, High Lift and
The low and high lift pumps and
back wash pumps are located in the
pump room
Low lift pumps draw the lake water
into the treatment plant
High lift pumps move treated water
into the water distribution system
and reservoirs
Backwash pumps are used to clean
the filters
Finishing our
Drinking Water
Fluoride is added to the finished
water to help prevent cavities in
our teeth
The finished water is then stored
in a reservoir and pumped into
our communities through the
water distribution system
Approximately 175 billion litres
of water are treated per year
Coagulation
Coagulation assists with the
removal of turbidity and
suspended matter (particles)
in the water
A coagulant (acidified aluminum
sulphate or Alum) is added to the
water
Chlorination and
Disinfection
Pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli
and Giardia are harmful to humans
The process of disinfection destroys
pathogenic bacteria
Chlorine is the most common
disinfectant used in water treatment
Flocculation
Flocculation helps the sticky Floc particles are removed from
particles collide with each other
forming larger and heavier
particles called floc
Filter Backwashing
Every few days the filters are
backwashed (cleaned)
Clean water is pumped up and
through the filter media lifting
and flushing out the floc particles
that have accumulated in the filter
The backwash water is stored in
holding tanks and then treated
in the backwash treatment facility
Sedimentation
the water by inclined plate settlers
The floc particles land on the
surface of the plate settlers. As
more and more floc accumulates,
it slides down the incline forming
settled solids at the bottom of
the tank
The settled solids are removed
and transferred to the wastewater
treatment plant
Filtration
Floc particles not removed through
the sedimentation process are removed
by the filters
The water travels through layers of
Granular Activated Carbon, sand and
gravel
Water starts at the top of the filter and
moves down by gravity