City of Brantford Takes Proactive Steps to Protect Water Quality

BRANTFORD, ON: The City of Brantford places the highest priority on the safety and well-being of our community. We are committed to ensuring that all residents have access to safe and reliable drinking water. Brantford’s water supply is rigorously tested multiple times each day to ensure it meets or exceeds all provincial health and safety standards. These testing measures are part of our ongoing responsibility to maintain compliance with strict regulatory requirements and to provide the highest level of confidence in the quality of water delivered to homes and businesses across the city.

Should there ever be a need to inform the public of any changes that could adversely affect public health, the City is fully committed to transparency. In consultation with Grand Erie Public Health, we will provide clear and timely communications to ensure the community is informed and any necessary actions to protect public health are taken promptly.

How winter conditions affect nitrate levels in the Grand River

Nitrate is a naturally occurring, odourless and colourless compound made up of nitrogen and oxygen. It is essential for plant and animal growth and is commonly found in foods such as vegetables, fruits, cured meats, dairy products, and cereals. Nitrate is naturally present in surface water and groundwater at low levels, but concentrations can increase due to agricultural runoff, livestock operations, and wastewater treatment plant effluents.

During winter months, biological processes in rivers slow down, reducing nitrogen uptake and increasing the potential for elevated nitrate concentrations in the water. Large runoff events caused by unseasonably warm temperatures or rain can transport higher quantities of nitrate into rivers and streams. As expected, the City is observing a gradual increase in nitrate levels in the Grand River this winter.

Potential health effects of nitrate

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has set a Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for nitrate at 10 milligrams per Litre (mg/L) as nitrogen. No harmful health effects have been seen at levels below the drinking water guideline level of 45 mg/L of nitrate in drinking water (equivalent to 10 mg/L measured as nitrate-nitrogen).

Health Canada warns that the main health threat to the public when nitrate is over 10mg/L is methemoglobinemia, also known as blue baby syndrome. Therefore, the vulnerable populations at risk from ingesting high nitrate in drinking water are: expectant and breastfeeding mothers, bottle-fed infants less than six months old, and, more generally, all infants one year of age and younger. Infants under six months are at the highest risk as they do not yet have the enzyme needed to break down nitrate.

City Actions to Protect Public Safety

The City closely monitors nitrate levels every winter and has implemented numerous proactive measures to ensure safe drinking water. Our Water Operations team continuously monitors the Grand River and adjusts treatment processes as needed. When nitrate levels approach the provincial limit, we deploy temporary reverse osmosis (RO) treatment systems that effectively remove nitrates and other contaminants. This winter, four mobile RO trailers will operate at the Holmedale Water Treatment Plant from December 2025 to April 2026 to maintain water safety.

In addition to these short-term measures, the City has allocated $25 million (2025–2027) for studies, temporary systems, and the design of a permanent RO facility, estimated for construction in 2030. We have also installed a dedicated electrical transformer to power the RO system, eliminating diesel generators and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

If nitrate levels in treated water ever exceeded the MAC, Grand Erie Public Health would issue a drinking water advisory, and the City would provide bottled or hauled potable water for vulnerable populations. Our commitment is to ensure that the public will be promptly and thoroughly informed of all measures necessary to protect health and safety.

For more information on nitrates and Brantford’s water supply, visit Brantford.ca/nitrate.