Can you drink water straight from Lake Ontario?

While that is true, it's not as simple as turning on a tap at home or dipping your bottle below the water's surface to fill it. Untreated water found in lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. isn't safe to drink. It can contain waterborne parasites and diseases like Giardiasis (also known as beaver fever) or E.



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Millions of people rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, which is considered safe if filtered properly. The city of Toronto treats over 1 billion litres of drinking water every day. That water is collected from Lake Ontario through intake pipes deep below the surface and at least 1 km from the shore.

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The opposite of Lake Superior in almost every way, Lake Ontario is the easternmost, lowest in elevation, smallest in surface area and perhaps the most polluted Great Lake.

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Drinking Water - State of the Great Lakes. The 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement states that “the Waters of the Great Lakes should be a source of safe, high quality drinking water”. Approximately 8.5 million Canadians and 19.5 million Americans get their drinking water from the surface waters of the Great Lakes.

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Dry yourself off with a towel as soon as you come out of the water. If possible, have a shower and dry off right away. However, showering will not remove any larvae that have already burrowed under your skin.

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The Great Lakes are not (noticeably) salty because water flows into them as well as out of them, carrying away the low concentrations of minerals in the water, writes Michael Moore of Toronto. Eventually, this water, with its small load of dissolved minerals or salts, reaches the sea.

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While there have been past “sightings,” most have turned out to be pranks or misidentifications. The reality is that the largest of the Great Lakes (Lake Superior and Michigan) are extremely deep lakes that are too cold for sharks.

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“The waves hit you every three to five seconds in the Great Lakes, where in the ocean it might be 10 to 12 seconds between waves,” said Guy Meadows, a Michigan senior research scientist.

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Spending time in natural bodies of water—like oceans, lakes, and rivers—is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. While this can help you stay active, it is important to know that the water we swim, play, wade, and relax in can also spread germs and make you, and those you care about, sick.

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