Stittsville Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Stittsville (a suburban community in the far west end of Ottawa, west of the Greenbelt) receives its drinking water from the City of Ottawa, primarily through the Britannia Water Purification Plant on the Ottawa River — one of Ottawa's two major treatment plants. Water undergoes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, meeting all Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) standards. Hardness in Stittsville's distribution zone is 134.5 mg/L (7.9 gpg) — classified as hard by Health Canada, elevated above central Ottawa's typical range (~88 mg/L) due to the specific Ottawa River chemistry at the Britannia intake and the characteristics of the western Ottawa distribution corridor.

The Britannia Water Purification Plant draws from the Ottawa River at a location where the river carries a relatively higher proportion of dissolved calcium from the Ordovician Trenton and Black River Group limestone plains of the eastern Ontario Lowlands compared to the more Shield-influenced upstream reaches. Stittsville's position at the far western end of the Ottawa distribution network means supply travels through the longest mains from the Britannia plant, accumulating slight additional mineral contact along the western distribution corridor.

At 134.5 mg/L, Stittsville residents experience noticeable scale deposits on kettle elements and in hot water tanks — descaling every six to eight weeks is advisable, and annual hot water tank flushing is recommended. The City of Ottawa provides water quality information at ottawa.ca and publishes annual reports for both the Britannia and Lemieux Island plant distribution zones. Stittsville residents are encouraged to review their specific zone hardness data and to follow Health Canada guidance on managing hard water in residential settings.