Wychwood Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
Source
lake
pH Level
7.8
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.002 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
396.8 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.49
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 Wychwood, your appliances are currently losing 24% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Wychwood | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 3.6 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -58% |
| Washing Machine | 6.9 yrs | 12 yrs | -43% |
| Water Heater | 8.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -45% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Wychwood compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Mineralization | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Wychwood, Ontario | 182 mg/L | High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Casa Loma, Ontario | 232 mg/L | Very High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Humewood-Cedarvale, Ontario | 236 mg/L | Very High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Oakwood Village, Ontario | 185.5 mg/L | High | 🔴 Very Hard |
| Forest Hill South, Ontario | 239.5 mg/L | Very High | 🔴 Very Hard |
National Benchmark
How Wychwood compares to the Canada average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Wychwood | 182 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| Canada National Avg | 141 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Vancouver Top Rated | 3 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Wychwood's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Wychwood (a midtown west Toronto neighbourhood near Wychwood Avenue and Davenport Road — centred on the historic Wychwood Barns (now Artscape Wychwood Barns cultural hub), one of Toronto's most beloved heritage conversions transforming the former TTC streetcar maintenance barn into a vibrant community arts and social enterprise hub, with a weekend Farmers Market and a neighbourhood of modest semi-detached and detached homes on the hilly Davenport ridgeline between Bathurst and Christie) receives its drinking water from the City of Toronto, drawing from Lake Ontario via the F.J. Horgan 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 sub-zone is 182 mg/L (10.6 gpg) — classified as very hard by Health Canada (just above the 180 mg/L threshold), an anomalously softer sub-zone compared to adjacent midtown west distribution zones at 235–238 mg/L.
Wychwood's 182 mg/L is significantly softer than the immediately surrounding Toronto neighbourhoods (Humewood-Cedarvale 236 mg/L, Little Portugal 236 mg/L, Junction Area 237.5 mg/L), representing one of the most anomalously lower-hardness sub-zones in the Toronto distribution network alongside the Cliffcrest/Kennedy Park cluster (154.5–159.5 mg/L). The Wychwood distribution sub-zone on the Davenport ridge (the ancient Lake Iroquois shoreline, a geological landform of the last Ice Age) appears to receive supply through a specific distribution branch that produces a notably softer tap measurement.
At 182 mg/L, Wychwood residents experience regular but moderate scale deposits — monthly kettle descaling is typical but at a notably lower rate than adjacent Toronto neighbourhoods. The City of Toronto provides water quality information at toronto.ca/water. Health Canada lead service line precautionary guidance applies to the neighbourhood's early 20th-century housing stock, and residents in the established 1910s–1930s homes around Artscape Wychwood Barns should consult the City's lead service line replacement programme.
Geology & Source: Supplied by City of Toronto from Lake Ontario via the F.J. Horgan Water Treatment Plant — the Wychwood midtown west Toronto distribution sub-zone records hard supply at 182 mg/L (10.6 gpg), an anomalously softer sub-zone within the broader midtown west Toronto distribution area.