Hauterive Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
Source
river
pH Level
7.4
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.004 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
95.5 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.12
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 Hauterive, your appliances are currently losing 6% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Hauterive | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8.1 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -5% |
| Washing Machine | 11.9 yrs | 12 yrs | -1% |
| Water Heater | 13.7 yrs | 15 yrs | -9% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Hauterive compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Mineralization | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Hauterive, Quebec | 46.5 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Baie-Comeau, Quebec | 63.5 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
| Rimouski, Quebec | 16 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Matane, Quebec | 35 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Edmundston, New Brunswick | 81 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
National Benchmark
How Hauterive compares to the Canada average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Hauterive | 46.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| Canada National Avg | 141 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Vancouver Top Rated | 3 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Hauterive's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Hauterive's drinking water is managed by Ville de Baie-Comeau, drawing from a local Côte-Nord river — Hauterive is the main urban, commercial, and industrial borough of Baie-Comeau, a city on the north shore of the St. Lawrence estuary in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, historically a company town founded by the Chicago Tribune's Robert McCormick for the Manicouagan hydroelectric project and pulp and paper industry (the former Donohue/Abitibi/Resolute paper mill complex), home to the Manic-2 and Manic-5 generating stations (among the world's largest multiple-arch dams), birthplace of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and a community defined by the extraordinary hydroelectric legacy of the Manicouagan River system. Water undergoes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, meeting all Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) requirements. Hardness measures 46.5 mg/L (2.7 gpg) — classified as soft by Health Canada, consistent with the Côte-Nord Shield river supply character.
Hauterive draws from a local Côte-Nord river in the Laurentides section of the Canadian Shield — the north shore rivers (Manicouagan, Outardes, Moisie) drain the ancient Archean and Paleoproterozoic granitic and gneissic terrain of the Grenville Province, with essentially zero carbonate content. The 46.5 mg/L is in the middle of the Côte-Nord range (19.5–63.5 mg/L from reference data), reflecting some marginal dissolved minerals from the Côte-Nord river valley glacial deposits and the local Shield geology. Water quality reports are published following Ministère de l'Environnement standards.
With 46.5 mg/L, Hauterive homes are essentially scale-free — occasional kettle cleaning every three months is adequate. Hot water tanks have an excellent operational lifespan. Health Canada lead precautionary guidance applies to pre-1975 properties in the historic Hauterive borough near the Baie-Comeau waterfront and the established north shore residential streets.
Geology & Source: Supplied by Ville de Baie-Comeau from a local Côte-Nord river on the north shore of the St. Lawrence — the Hauterive Baie-Comeau supply from the Côte-Nord Shield river watershed produces soft water at 46.5 mg/L (2.7 gpg), consistent with the Côte-Nord Laurentian Shield river supply character.