Do Ottawa pools get trucked water?

Yes, trucked water is commonly used to fill pools in Ottawa, and it is a completely normal and practical choice for many homeowners. Municipal water works fine too, but trucked water has some real advantages worth understanding before you decide.

Ottawa's municipal water supply is safe and suitable for pool use, but filling a large inground pool from a garden hose can take 24 to 72 hours depending on your water pressure and pool volume. A standard 14x28 foot pool holds roughly 50,000 to 60,000 litres of water. At typical Ottawa residential water pressure, that is a long wait — and your water meter is running the whole time. Municipal water rates in Ottawa have climbed steadily, so the cost difference between trucked and tap water is worth calculating for your specific pool volume.

Water delivery companies in Ottawa bring potable water by tanker truck, typically in loads of 18,000 to 23,000 litres per truck. Most inground pools require two to three truck loads to fill. The water arrives quickly — often in a few hours total — which means your pool contractor can move forward with startup, chemical balancing, and equipment commissioning without a multi-day delay. This matters a lot in Ottawa given the short season. Every day you spend waiting for a hose to fill your pool in late May is a day of swimming you are not getting.

One thing to keep in mind: trucked water still needs to be chemically balanced after delivery. The source water chemistry varies by supplier, and your pool professional will test and adjust pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and sanitizer levels before the pool is safe to swim in. This is true whether you fill with a garden hose or a tanker truck — do not skip that step.

For pool top-ups after winterization or mid-season evaporation losses, most Ottawa homeowners simply use the garden hose for smaller volumes. Trucked water makes the most sense for initial fills and major refills after liner replacements or significant water loss events.