Understanding Barrie's water
Source: The city's water reports don't list hardness.
Where does Barrie's water come from?
Barrie draws drinking water from Lake Simcoe through its surface water treatment plant, plus a network of municipal groundwater wells, and blends them for distribution. Treatment includes membrane filtration, activated carbon for taste and odour, and chlorine disinfection. The city's reports don't list a hardness figure, but well-fed areas tend to be harder than the lake-fed south end.
The Barrie municipal water supply has hard water, filled with calcium and is brown in colour. After installing my water system, I can drink water from the tap, cook, and perform my daily hygiene knowing that the water is healthy for me. My kettle no longer has the calcium build up.
Shauna Cassell, Barrie, Google review
Recommended water treatment for Barrie homes
We recommend systems based on where your water comes from. Your free in-home test confirms the fit before anything is installed.
South Barrie (mostly lake water)
Painswick, Holly, Innishore, Allandale, Kingswood, Mapleview, South Shore, Tollendal
Softening for scale, carbon for chlorine taste, and reverse osmosis for drinking water.
North and central Barrie (more groundwater)
Barrie North, Sunnidale, Letitia Heights, West Bayfield, Riverdale, East End
Harder water and occasional iron: a softener, an iron filter if needed, and RO at the sink.
Rural and well-supplied areas
Springwater (Midhurst, Anten Mills, Elmvale), Innisfil (Alcona, Lefroy, Stroud), Oro-Medonte (Horseshoe Valley, Shanty Bay), Clearview
Well homes need softening, iron removal and UV disinfection.
Enhanced Water Softener
Softens hard water and removes chlorine and chloramine in one system.
See Enhanced Water Softener
Iron & Manganese Filter
Birm media removes iron, manganese and the orange or black stains they leave.
See Iron & Manganese Filter
UV Pro
Ultraviolet disinfection for well water: bacteria, viruses and cysts.
See UV ProSigns you may need a water filter
- Mineral scaling on faucets or in appliances
- Dry or frizzy hair
- Rust-coloured staining in sinks or on clothes
- Lingering chlorine taste or odour
- Sediment or cloudiness on a rural well
Nearby cities we also serve
Questions
Is Barrie water hard?
Barrie's reports don't publish a hardness figure. Areas fed by municipal wells are usually harder than the lake-fed south end. Our free test measures your tap.
Where does Barrie's water come from?
Lake Simcoe, through the city's surface water treatment plant, plus municipal groundwater wells.
Free in-home water test
Find out what's in your Barrie water
We test your water at your home, show you what's in it, and recommend the system that fits.
- Free
- About 30 minutes
- No obligation