The City of Brantford has released its 2025 Water System Annual Summary Report, confirming that local tap water continues to meet or exceed all provincial safety standards. The report, which covers operations from January 1 to December 31, 2025, is now available to the public on the City of Brantford website.
The municipal drinking water system earned a perfect inspection score of 100.00% from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for 2025. During the year, the city collected and tested 1,688 bacteriological samples, all of which were compliant with provincial regulations.
A major focus of 2025 operations was addressing nitrate levels in the Grand River, which serves as the primary water source for the Holmedale Water Treatment Plant. In January 2025, nitrate levels reached a peak of 9.8 mg/L for a couple of hours following heavy rainfall, approaching but not exceeding the 10 mg/L limit, while the maximum daily average was 9.13 mg/L. To manage this, the city implemented four new mobile reverse osmosis units in April 2025. This infrastructure project was completed in six weeks, a significant speed improvement over the typical five-month timeline, to help ensure consistent water quality.
The city also continued its efforts to reduce lead exposure through the Lead Financial Incentive Program. In 2025, 70 lead service pipe replacements were completed, with 59 grants awarded to residents. According to the city, these replacements successfully dropped the average lead level in residential tap water from 5.11 micrograms per litre to 0.57 micrograms per litre.
Other key updates included the January 2025 connection of the Tutela Heights area to the city’s water distribution system, moving residents away from the local well water system. Additionally, the city maintained its role as a bulk water provider for the County of Brant, specifically supplying the Cainsville water system. The city invested over $2.29 million in major water system capital projects throughout the year, including the mobile reverse osmosis equipment and various station upgrades.
