The City of Owen Sound, Ontario, officially ended a precautionary boil water advisory on Monday, March 16, 2026. Local officials lifted the order at 5:30 p.m. after testing confirmed the municipal water supply is safe for the community to drink.
The advisory originally began on March 14, 2026, after staff at the Richard H. Neath Water Purification Plant noticed the water was too cloudy. This cloudiness can sometimes interfere with the cleaning process, so the city issued the advisory as a safety step to protect residents while they investigated the issue.
To ensure the water was safe, the city worked with Grey Bruce Public Health and provincial experts. An assessment from Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed that the water disinfection system is performing properly and meeting all required safety standards.
With the advisory now removed, residents and local businesses can return to using tap water for all their daily needs. The city confirmed that no further boiling or special treatment is necessary for the water to be used for drinking, cooking, or bathing.
