Water
Water Bottle Refill Stations
The Orillia Campus has 6 Water Bottle Refill Stations: 3 in Simcoe (one per floor), 1 in the DH, one at Heritage Place, and 1 is being installed on the first floor of the Residence Building.
The Barrie STEM Hub has 1 Water Bottle Refill Station at 24 Maple with a second one soon to be installed at 5 Ross, paid for by LUSU.
The Thunder Bay Campus has 39 Water Bottle Refill Stations + 2 refill stations at the PACI Law Building. You can use the map below to find the refill station nearest you!
Wastewater Treatment
Lakehead’s approach to water treatment protects local and regional ecosystems by adhering to water disposal standards identified by the Ministry of Environment, the City of Thunder Bay and Orillia water standards.
We are compliant with municipal sewage and stormwater discharge by-laws and do not discharge any matter that is hazardous to any person, animal, property or environment; or substances that may obstruct flow or cause damage to the sewage infrastructure. Lakehead is committed to implementing policies and programs to reduce stormwater runoff and water pollution, and to treat water as a resource rather than as a waste product.
Our water is provided through the municipal water supply which includes Lake Superior in the city of Thunder Bay, and Lake Couchiching and groundwater wells in the City of Orillia.
Water Protection
Both of our campuses adhere to the "Clean Water Act" and its regulations. Lakehead University uses the campus rain garden and outdoor classroom to educate the public on stormwater management best practices and the protection of our local watershed. In partnership with the Remedial Action Plan (RAP), the program is now being facilitated by Lakehead University under the supervision and guidance of Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
We recognize that protecting our water sources are important to ensuring that there is enough safe water for all uses, now and in the future. We are committed to preventing waste, chemicals, and toxic substances from making their way into our water supply so that we are protecting the ecosystems of Lake Superior & Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe.
Water Reuse and Minimization
In recent years, Lakehead has undertaken many initiatives to reduce water use on campus. Some of these projects have been highly visible, however, many have taken place behind-the-scenes. Here are some of the water-saving projects Lakehead University has completed in recent years:
-Bioswales on the Orillia campus
-A ban on the sale of single use water bottles on the Orillia campus
-Native plants that are adaptive and drought-tolerant to minimize the need for supplemental watering
-A green roof to control stormwater runoff
-Bioretention area stormwater management landscaping
-A rain garden on the Thunder Bay campus
-An outdoor classroom that replaces a previously paved surface and incorporates various native plants and ecosystems on our Thunder Bay campus
- In 2024, Lakehead University installed backflow prevention devices on the five main feeds to campus to enhance water system efficiency. These devices prevent the reverse flow of water (known as backflow) from campus plumbing systems into the public water supply, protecting water quality, improving performance and reducing unaccounted-for water loss.