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Published Mar 14, 2026  • Last updated 57 minutes ago  • 2 minute read
A precautionary boil water advisory was issued for Owen Sound on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Getty ImagesArticle content
A precautionary boil water advisory has been issued for users of Owen Sound’s water system due to high levels of turbidity.
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Early Saturday evening the city issued the advisory along with Grey Bruce Public Health for all residents and consumers of the municipal water system. Residents were being asked to temporarily reduce their water usage.
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The precautionary measure was introduced after cloudiness in the water was observed at the water treatment plant. High levels of turbidity can interfere with disinfection, which is one component of water treatment, it said in a news release from the city.
The water currently continues to meet all other quality and testing standards, the release added.
While the precautionary boil water advisory is in place, all water should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before using it for drinking, preparing food or beverages, making ice cubes, washing fruits and vegetables, or brushing teeth, the release said. This is particularly important for young children, older adults and people who are immuno-compromised to protect their health.
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Adults, teens, and older children can wash, bathe, or shower; however, they should avoid swallowing the water. Toddlers and infants should be sponge bathed, the city said.
It’s not necessary to boil tap water used for other household purposes, such as showering, laundry, bathing or washing dishes, the release added.
The city release adds that domestic dishwashers may not adequately disinfect dishes. If dishes are washed by hand, they should be washed and rinsed in hot tap water, then soaked in a dilute solution of household bleach (20 millilitres of bleach in 10 litres of water) for one minute, and air dried.
Drinking water directly from the tap is not recommended and could potentially result in illness, the city said.
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In addition to boiling water, the city asked all residents, as well as anyone who lives or works in a building connected to the city’s water system, to reduce their water use, which aids in required remedial actions.
Areas impacted include the entire City of Owen Sound as well as the village of Leith in Meaford and parts of Georgian Bluffs connected to the city’s water system.
The city said it is monitoring the water quality closely with increased testing and working with Grey Bruce Public Health to assess the potential risk to health and ensure appropriate mitigation measures are in place.
Turbidity is a measure of how cloudy water is and is caused by tiny particles suspended in it. Such particles can include dirt or soil, silt and clay, algae, organic material and microorganisms, the city said.
Residents will be notified when the precautionary boil water advisory notice is lifted at OwenSound.ca/News. This will occur when the water is confirmed to be safe to consume, the city said.
More information on water boil advisories can be found at https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Your-Environment/Safe-Water/Public-Drinking-Water#1807106-boil-water-advisory-bwa-or-order-bwo
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