Jonquière Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Jonquière (the western borough of Ville de Saguenay on the Saguenay River) receives its drinking water from Ville de Saguenay, drawing principally from the Lac Kénogami reservoir and associated Saguenay watershed sources via the Jonquière-area water treatment facilities. Treatment includes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, meeting all Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) requirements. Hardness measures 64.5 mg/L (3.8 gpg) — classified as moderately hard by Health Canada, notably higher than Chicoutimi's 11.5 mg/L, reflecting Jonquière's draw from a larger reservoir catchment with more varied mineral contact.

Jonquière's primary reservoir source, Lac Kénogami, collects water from a large Saguenay-area watershed where longer contact with glacial overburden, post-glacial calcareous lacustrine sediments, and marginal Devonian and carbonate-influenced geology elevates mineral content compared to the small Rivière du Moulin catchment serving Chicoutimi. While both watersheds sit on the deep Precambrian Shield of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean region, Lac Kénogami's larger catchment area provides greater mineral accumulation through subsurface contact.

At 64.5 mg/L, Jonquière residents experience only mild to moderate scale deposits — occasional kettle descaling every two to three months is adequate. Hot water tanks operate reliably at this hardness. As part of Ville de Saguenay, Jonquière residents can access annual water quality reports following Ministère de l'Environnement standards. The moderately hard supply is far below the problematic levels seen in Prairie or southern Ontario communities, and no dedicated whole-home treatment is required for most households.