Our Source Water
Our source for drinking water is Lake Erie, which is one of the five Great Lakes. Over 90% of the water entering Lake Erie comes from the upstream lakes - Superior, Michigan and Huron - as well as the rivers and streams that flow into these lakes. The remaining water comes from rain and snow in the Lake Erie drainage basin, including the streams and rivers that flow into Lake Erie. As water travels over the land or through the ground, it can pick up substances that are harmful to humans.
We use surface water drawn from four intakes in Lake Erie. Our intake systems are located a considerable distance offshore to protect our water from possible contamination. Your water goes through a thorough treatment process that includes removing small debris, filtering, and disinfecting the water to meet drinking water quality standards. For more information, click here. Cleveland Water regularly collects and tests about 300 water samples a day to ensure that the water our customers receive exceeds federal and state drinking standards.