Fast Facts about the City’s Water Treatment Plants

F.J. Horgan Water Treatment Plant

  • Opened in 1979, it is Toronto’s newest water treatment plant, providing water to customers in the east end and Region of York
  • Produces approximately 110,000 million litres of water each year, which is 25% of Toronto’s drinking water
  • Can produce between 455 to 800 million litres daily
  • Named after Frank J. Horgan, Commissioner of Works for Metro Toronto from 1980 to 1989
  • Expanded in 2009 to be the first and only plant that uses ozone as the primary disinfectant to control pathogens, seasonal taste and odour
  • Features a green roof and 10-megawatt standby power plant to meet demand in the event of a power outage

Island Water Treatment Plant

  • Sits on the site of the City’s first water treatment plant built in the 1900s, which is no longer in service
  • Current plant was built in 1977 and is located on Centre Island
  • Produces more than 95,000 million litres of water annually, which is 22% of Toronto’s drinking water
  • Can produce about 410 million litres each day
  • Cold, treated water passes through a heat exchanging system, which enables Enwave to cool buildings in the downtown core. Learn more about the Deep Lake Water Cooling project.

R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant

  • Constructed in the 1930s and opened in 1941, it is the largest water treatment plant in Toronto
  • Produces 113,000 million litres of water annually, which is 25% of Toronto’s drinking water
  • Named after Roland Caldwell Harris, Commissioner of Works from 1912 to his death in 1945
  • Dubbed “The Palace of Purification”, it is the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in Toronto
  • Is a national historic civil engineering site, designated historical building and has been featured in many film, fashion and TV shoots
  • Has an active Public Advisory Committee that meets to discuss important community issues, such as upgrades, security and heritage conservation
  • Is currently undergoing construction to rehabilitate the water settling basin.

 R.L. Clark Water Treatment Plant

  • Opened on November 22, 1968 and is located in Toronto’s South Etobicoke
  • Originally called the Westerly Plant, was later named after Ross Leopold Clark, Commissioner of Works for Metropolitan Toronto from 1956 to 1979
  • Produces more than 130,800 million litres of water annually, which is almost 30% of Toronto’s drinking water
  • Can produce 360 to 460 million litres daily
  • Is currently undergoing construction to upgrade the filters used to clean the water