Water Quality a Number One Priority

Farlain Lake water quality is one of the three key priorities outlined within the Lake to Sky Plan  developed by the Farlain Lake Community Association in 2013. Strategies to monitor water quality are in place working with important organizations such as the Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA), the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations (FoTTSA), Tiny Township and other environmental agencies include research and testing of lake water and community well water.

Lake Water Testing

The FLCA annually participates in a voluntary lake water testing program initiated by FoTTSA in 2001 and supported by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.  Samples are taken from the lake and submitted to FoTTSA for analysis.

For details on the sampling program and testing results, please click here to go to the Volunteer Water Sampling Program on the FoTTSA web site.

To Have Your Well Water Tested

Pick up sample bottles and instruction sheets at:

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Midland Branch
925 Hugel Ave., Unit A, Midland
(Located at the far end of the NEW Midland Secondary School Building)
Open Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (self serve 12:30-1:30 p.m.)

Keep samples refrigerated or on ice until you’re ready to drop them off. Since samples can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours before delivering to lab, a group of neighbours could get together to arrange a drop off on Monday morning since times are not convenient for weekend visits.

After hours samples can be left with the guard on the loading dock. He will put them in a refrigerator Sunday through Thursday.

Visit Public Health Ontario for more information about how to get your results, understand your results and what to do next. If you would like to speak to a public health inspector about your results please call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SSEA 2016 Well Survey

The SSEA conducted a well survey  in 2016 – click here for the full report from the SSEA.  Please click here for a very comprehensive presentation from the SSEA at the 2017 FLCA Annual Meeting.

2017 Well Water Nitrate Testing

The 2017 FoTTSA well water Nitrate testing program was successfully completed with 113 water samples tested and no well water samples exceeding the drinking water guidelines of 10 mg/l for nitrates or 1.0 mg/l for nitrites. In fact, 78 samples had no detectable amounts of either contaminate and only two samples had any positive Nitrite reading.  Members of the FLCA participated in the program and were provided with the results of the tests on their wells.

Nitrates, compounds which contain one nitrogen molecule joined by three oxygen molecules (NO3 ), can come from nitrogen fertilizers which are carried by rain or irrigation into groundwater. Additional sources of nitrates can be human or animal waste products.

Nitrites are compounds which have one nitrogen molecule joined by two oxygen molecules (NO2 ) and come from the same fertilizer or waste products as nitrates. Nitrite compounds are quickly transformed in soil into nitrates and so usually have a much lower concentration than nitrates in ground water.

Further details can be found on the Nitrate Well Testing Program on the FoTTSA web site.