Where Does Your Water Come From?

Painesville’s drinking water comes from Lake Erie.

Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes and serves as a primary water source for millions of people across the region. Water flows into Lake Erie primarily from the upper Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, and Huron—through the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, with additional input from precipitation.

As the shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie requires careful monitoring and treatment to ensure a safe, reliable drinking water supply.



Water Treatment Plant

The Painesville Water Treatment Plant is located along the Lake Erie shoreline near Mentor Headlands.

The plant:

  • Treats and distributes more than 4 million gallons of water per day
  • Has a maximum capacity of 7.5 million gallons per day
  • Serves Painesville, Grand River, portions of Painesville Township and Concord Township
  • Provides bulk water to Fairport Harbor

The facility has been in operation since 1896 and operates under Ohio EPA Public Water Supply license OH 4301611.

 

 


Raw Water Intake Project

In 2020, the City completed a new 4,000-foot raw water intake to improve water quality and system reliability.

This $14 million project:

  • Extends farther into Lake Erie to access cleaner source water
  • Was constructed using advanced microtunneling techniques
  • Set a U.S. record for the longest microtunneling project of its kind

The new intake replaces an older system that had operational limitations and helps:

  • Improve overall water quality
  • Reduce treatment costs
  • Minimize wear on plant equipment

This project was supported in part by Ohio EPA funding programs focused on protecting drinking water from harmful algal blooms.