Drinking Water

If you are considering buying bottled water in Banff, consider this:

• Banff's tap water tastes great!
• Drinking tap water means avoiding plastic water bottle waste 
• Tap water is a fraction of the cost of bottled water
• Banff tap water is readily available

No Bottled Water available in Public Facilities

In May 2010, the Town of Banff banned the sale of bottled water at Town-owned facilities and Town-sponsored events. This was done as part of the Town’s goal to move toward zero waste, and to encourage the use of refillable water bottles. 4 new water filling stations were installed to support this initiative.

• Water Bottle Filling Stations Map (PDF)

What Makes Our Water So Good?

The Source:

• Banff's drinking water comes from deep underground wells. Alberta Environment rates Banff's tap water as "High Quality Groundwater."

Our Safety Standards:

• Banff water is disinfected with chlorine as it is pumped from the wells into a reservoir located on Tunnel Mountain. Town staff tests the water daily to ensure the water is safe for public consumption. Banff's drinking water consistently meets all standards set by the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

What is water hardness?

Water hardness is caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium in the ground and surface water. The concentration of these minerals will determine the hardness of the water.

0 to 75 = Soft

75 to <150 = Medium Hard

150 to <300 Hard

300+ = Very Hard

On average the Town of Banff's water hardness is 190 mg/L concentration of calcium carbonate.

What is pH?
pH is a quantitative measure of the hydrogen ion representing the acidy or alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH less than 7 is considered acidic and a pH greater than 7 is considered alkaline. Pure water's pH is 7. On average the Town of Banff's pH is 8.