Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
Source
lake
pH Level
7.7
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.002 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
343.7 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.44
energy & soap waste
Source: Health Canada Water Quality · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan, your appliances are currently losing 22% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 4.2 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -51% |
| Washing Machine | 7.5 yrs | 12 yrs | -38% |
| Water Heater | 9 yrs | 15 yrs | -40% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Mineralization | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan, Ontario | 164 mg/L | High | 🟠 Hard |
| L'Amoreaux, Ontario | 233 mg/L | Very High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Dorset Park, Ontario | 154.5 mg/L | High | 🟠 Hard |
| Agincourt South-Malvern West, Ontario | 235.5 mg/L | Very High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Agincourt North, Ontario | 154.5 mg/L | High | 🟠 Hard |
National Benchmark
How Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan compares to the Canada average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan | 164 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Canada National Avg | 141 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Vancouver Top Rated | 3 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan (a residential neighbourhood in north Scarborough, Toronto, near Sheppard Avenue East and Warden Avenue — home to the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course and a mix of 1960s–1970s residential development) receives its drinking water from the City of Toronto, drawing from Lake Ontario via the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. Water is treated using ozonation, biofiltration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, meeting all Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) standards. Hardness in this distribution zone is 164 mg/L (9.6 gpg) — classified as hard by Health Canada, consistent with the lower-hardness eastern Scarborough sub-zones (Bendale 165 mg/L, Agincourt North 154.5 mg/L).
Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan's 164 mg/L represents a notably lower hardness than the typical Toronto-wide range of 230–240 mg/L — a characteristic feature of the northeast Scarborough distribution corridor. The consistency of lower hardness across multiple adjacent Scarborough sub-zones (Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan, Bendale, Agincourt North) suggests a distinct supply routing in this part of the R.C. Harris plant service area, possibly reflecting a distribution branch with different supply characteristics from the heavily networked central and west Toronto corridors.
At 164 mg/L, Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan residents experience regular but moderate scale deposits — monthly kettle descaling is typical, but the rate is significantly lower than in Toronto's harder zones. Hot water tanks operate reliably at this hardness and accumulate scale at a lower rate than western Toronto. The City of Toronto provides water quality data at toronto.ca/water; multilingual resources serving this community's diverse immigrant population are available through the city's water quality programme.
Geology & Source: Supplied by City of Toronto from Lake Ontario via the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant — the Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan north Scarborough distribution sub-zone measures hard water at 164 mg/L (9.6 gpg), consistent with the lower-hardness eastern Scarborough corridor.