Questions and answers - water supply
Questions and answers - general
Questions and answers - Works and Emergency Services
Ensuring that Toronto's water supply system will be unaffected by the date change is among the highest priorities of the City's Year 2000 team. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about water supply.
Q. Does the City of Toronto have a plan to ensure continuity of the water supply in the Year 2000?
Yes. Since just a few weeks after the new Toronto was formed in January 1998, the city has been working to ensure that the water supply will not be affected by the date change on January 1st, 2000. Water supply and other essential services have been given top priority within the city's Year 2000 plan. The city expects that like other key services, the water supply will operate normally for Toronto residents and businesses on and after January 1st, 2000.
Q. Do the city's plans ensure that all of the planned "fixes" will have been tested and proven in advance?
Yes. The city projects that all critical Year 2000 work will be completed by October 31st, 1999. Because water supply is a priority, a solution will be in place and operating smoothly well before that date.
Q. What if the power fails? Does the water supply system have a backup electricity generation system?
In the unlikely event that a power failure occurs, the city's water supply system relies on two separate power supplies to all facilities to ensure continuous operation if a local failure occurs in the primary power supply. The water supply system is a fully integrated network that provides flexibility in dealing with local power outages. For example, if a power failure occurred at one of the city's water filtration plants, system adjustments would be made and the other plants would make up the shortfall. In addition, the water supply system has a storage capacity of up to 24 hours of water in the extremely unlikely event of a widespread power outage.
Power failures are extremely unlikely because Ontario Hydro and Toronto Hydro, with the city's cooperation, have been working to ensure that power systems will be unaffected by the date change. In fact, on March 6th, Ontario Hydro moved its clocks forward to simulate the date change for its high voltage transmission system in central and west-end Toronto. The test was completely successful - an important milestone that brings Toronto one step closer to its goal of business as usual on the first day of the new century.
Q. What about your suppliers? Is the city confirming that critical suppliers of goods or services essential to water supply will be able to continue to supply those goods or services after the date change?
Yes. The city is obtaining those assurances from its suppliers, and naturally taking the time to verify the facts. The city reserves the right to protect the interests of Toronto residents and businesses by finding alternate assured sources for the goods or services in question. As part of its contingency plan, the city will keep a store of essential materials in case there are any interruptions anywhere in the supply chain during the period immediately following January 1st, 2000.
