Pollution and contamination in Barrie: air, groundwater and spills on the record
The City's own capital plan describes a plume of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater as "the single-largest contributor to the degradation of the City's drinking water aquifers". This page sets out what the City has said and budgeted about it, two other documented cases, what the provincial air station in Barrie measures, how many spills are reported to the Province each year, and which industrial facilities report their releases to the federal inventory. The Province, not the City, runs the air station, takes spill reports and sets drinking-water standards.
What is the TCE plume the City wants to clean up?
Capital project 006799, "Groundwater TCE Plume Mitigation", is "to investigate and implement on-site remediation of the existing southern trichloroethylene (TCE) plume, historical contamination which poses a threat to the future of the City's drinking water supply." The project sheet says a review "confirmed that the source of that plume is still active and resulting in concentrations that are more than 3 orders of magnitude above the drinking water limit", and that the source "is expected to continue to be an active source for the foreseeable future (decades)."
Three orders of magnitude is a factor of 1,000. Ontario's drinking-water standard for trichloroethylene is 0.005 mg/L, so by this site's arithmetic that means more than 5 mg/L. The plan is describing the groundwater plume; for tap water, see the next question.
The sheet says remediation "at the site in the early 2000s" reduced concentrations but they "have remained elevated", and that dealing with known sources now "could eliminate the need for additional treatment of the City's well water". It asks for $150,000 ($50,000 in 2026 and $100,000 in 2027) and forecasts $975,000 more through 2030, a total of $1.125 million, all from the Water Capital Reserve. The plan does not state where the plume is or what its source is, and this page does not either.
Sources: 2026 Capital Project Detail Report, City of Barrie. Original document. 241 pages, one detail sheet per project with project numbers. Retrieved August 9, 2026. O. Reg. 169/03: Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards, Government of Ontario (e-Laws). Original document. Schedule 2, chemical standards: trichloroethylene 0.005 mg/L. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
Does it show up in Barrie's tap water?
Not above the standard, according to the City's 2025 drinking-water report. It says treated-water chemical results "remained within the applicable standards" of the provincial regulation, and that "All VOC test results were below the drinking water standards". In the report's treated-water table, trichloroethylene is below the laboratory detection limit at most sampling points; the highest result is 0.0004 mg/L, under the 0.005 mg/L standard. The well samples in that table were taken in 2024 and the treatment plant's in 2025; the report says that where a test was not due in the year, the most recent result is shown.
Sources: Drinking Water System Annual Report 2025, City of Barrie. Original document. The system: the surface water treatment plant on Kempenfelt Bay plus 12 wells, serving about 167,176 residents. States no plant capacity. O. Reg. 169/03: Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards, Government of Ontario (e-Laws). Original document. Schedule 2, chemical standards: trichloroethylene 0.005 mg/L. All retrieved October 7, 2026.
What other contamination is on the record?
A barrier wall keeping contaminated groundwater out of Kempenfelt Bay. Project BP1000 says "The flow of contaminated groundwater, due to a historical coal gasification site, is currently being mitigated with a barrier wall system", and funds "a fulsome assessment" of the methods used to keep that groundwater out of Kempenfelt Bay: $270,000 in all ($45,000 previously approved, $75,000 in 2026 and $150,000 in 2027) from the Tax Capital Reserve.
Earlier contamination projects still open. The 2026–2035 capital plan carries three earlier-approved projects named for TCE or contamination. Each had spent less than its approved budget by August 2025, and none has new money in the ten-year plan:
| Project | Spent to August 2025 | Previously approved |
|---|---|---|
| TCE Groundwater Monitor Wells (ES1001) | $464,780 | $547,062 |
| TCE Plume Mitigation Solution (ES1015) | $148,619 | $200,000 |
| Toronto/Simcoe Contamination Mitigation Treatment Barrier (ES1058) | $83,554 | $400,000 |
The project titles are the City's. The plan does not say whether the Toronto/Simcoe treatment barrier is connected to the TCE plume.
Sources: 2026 Capital Project Detail Report, City of Barrie. Original document. 241 pages, one detail sheet per project with project numbers. 2026–2035 Capital Plan (summary tables), City of Barrie. Original document. Per-project ten-year spending tables: total spent to Aug 2025, previously approved budget, and 2026–2035 by year. All retrieved August 9, 2026.
A diesel spill into Kempenfelt Bay. In August 2022 City staff found a slick on the Southshore Park duck pond, which is connected to Kempenfelt Bay through the stormwater system. City officials later said a Metrolinx internal report confirmed that 3,528 litres of diesel had leaked from the Allandale layover yard into the stormwater system and, ultimately, the pond and the bay. On July 28, 2026, Metrolinx pleaded guilty to discharging a material into water under section 30(1) of the Ontario Water Resources Act, and the court fined it $185,000 plus the mandatory 25% victim fine surcharge. A City spokesperson said the City's Environmental Services team did the cleanup and that Metrolinx paid all its costs.
Source: Metrolinx handed $185K fine for 2022 diesel spill in Kempenfelt Bay, BarrieToday (Nikki Cole), dated July 31, 2026. Original document. Archived copy. Guilty plea July 28, 2026 under s. 30(1) of the Ontario Water Resources Act; $185,000 fine plus a 25% victim fine surcharge; 3,528 litres of diesel from the Allandale layover yard, August 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
How clean is the air at Barrie's monitoring station?
The provincial air-monitoring station in Barrie is number 47045, at 83 Perry Street. Its yearly statistics are published by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. The annual average of nitrogen dioxide fell from 14.4 ppb in 2002 to 4.96 ppb in 2025, about two-thirds lower by this site's arithmetic. No hour in any year from 2002 to 2025 exceeded the provincial one-hour criterion of 200 ppb. The statistics record levels, not causes.
NO₂ annual mean
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is harder to read over time, because the instruments changed. MECP says its move to a new instrument in 2013 "resulted in increased PM2.5 annual means" and that the increases "are not an indication that the air quality has changed, but that the measurements are more accurate." A second instrument came in from 2023; MECP calls the two "equivalent" and "comparable for analyses". The chart below therefore starts in 2013. Measured against the 24-hour criterion of 27 µg/m³ in force since 2020, Barrie's station recorded 12 exceedances in 2023 and 14 in 2025, and none in 2022 or 2024. The statistics do not give a cause.
Source: Annual Air Pollutant Statistics: NO2, PM2.5 and O3, station 47045 (Barrie, 83 Perry St.), Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Original document. Read from the workbooks NO2_Data_1995-2025.xlsx and PM25_Data_2003-2025.xlsx. PM2.5 was measured with a TEOM sampler from 2003 to 2012, a SHARP 5030 from 2013 to 2022 and a Teledyne T640 from 2023. MECP says the 2013 change raised annual means because the new instruments measure more accurately; it does not mean air quality changed. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
How many spills are reported in Barrie each year?
Spills are reported to the Province's Spills Action Centre, which publishes each report with the municipality but no address. Between 2003 and 2025 there were 2,271 reports for Barrie. The most common contaminants named are natural gas (285 reports, under two labels), hydraulic oil (199), gasoline (144) and diesel fuel (123), by this site's count. A count of reports is not a measure of harm; the ministry rates each report's environmental and health impact separately.
Source: Environmental Occurrences & Spills, 2003–2025 (reports with site municipality Barrie), Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks — Spills Action Centre (counted by this site). Original document. This site's count of reports whose site municipality is Barrie, by year reported, 2003 to 2025: 2,271 in all. MECP publishes only the municipality, without an address, because the locations reported to it are not verified. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
Which facilities report their pollutant releases?
Industrial and municipal facilities report their releases to the federal National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Only facilities over its thresholds must report: generally those where employees work more than 20,000 hours a year, that carry out certain activities such as wastewater treatment, or that handle listed substances above their reporting threshold. It does not cover vehicles, agriculture or forest fires, or greenhouse gases. 29 facilities that NPRI places in Barrie by address or census subdivision have reported at some point since 1993. Five reported for 2024, the latest year published, and the table lists everything each of them reported.
| Facility | Substance | Released to | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Barrie Wastewater Treatment Facility 249 Bradford Street · Sewage treatment facilities | Ammonia (total) | Air | 42.1 tonnes |
| Volatile organic compounds (total) | Air | 20.8 tonnes | |
| Ammonia (total) | Water | 4.4 tonnes | |
| Phosphorus (total) | Water | 714.40 kg | |
| Mercury (and its compounds) | Air | 0.3 g | |
| Napoleon Appliance Corporation 214 Bayview Drive · Other major appliance manufacturing | Volatile organic compounds (total) | Air | 13.0 tonnes |
| Chromium (and its compounds) | Air | 0.019 kg | |
| Nickel (and its compounds) | All media (under 1 tonne) | 0.012 kg | |
| Wolf Steel Limited 24 Napoleon Road · Heating equipment and commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturing | Chromium (and its compounds) | Air | 0.76 kg |
| Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP 220 John Street · Material recovery facilities | Lead (and its compounds) | Air | 0.2036 kg |
| Arsenic (and its compounds) | Air | 0.0132 kg | |
| Cadmium (and its compounds) | Air | 0.0054 kg | |
| Cobalt (and its compounds) | Air | 0.004 kg | |
| Garaga Inc. 333 Bayview Drive · All other miscellaneous manufacturing | Methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) | All media (under 1 tonne) | 0.02 kg |
Quantities are as each facility reported them; this site converted them to common units. The NPRI's own guidance warns that thresholds and listed substances have changed over the years, that this "can influence annual trends and year-to-year comparisons", and that calculation methods can differ between years and between facilities. NPRI's location coding puts 24 Napoleon Road in Oro-Medonte and 249 Bradford Street in Springwater, although both give Barrie addresses.
Sources: National Pollutant Release Inventory bulk data: releases and facility locations, 1993–2024 (facilities with a Barrie address or census subdivision), Environment and Climate Change Canada. Original document. 29 facilities in Barrie by NPRI address or census subdivision have reported since 1993; five reported for 2024, the latest year in the file. Quantities converted to common units by this site. Using and interpreting data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory, Environment and Climate Change Canada, dated February 24, 2025. Original document. Who must report (more than 20,000 employee hours a year, listed activities such as wastewater treatment, or listed substances above threshold), what the NPRI does not collect, and its warning that changing requirements affect year-to-year comparisons. All retrieved October 7, 2026.
Who does what: the City, the Province, Ottawa?
- The City decides: what to spend on its own contamination projects (the TCE and barrier-wall projects above are City capital projects), and land use. When it rezones a property it can attach a hold that lifts only after the owner satisfies "a Certificate of Property Use and/or Record of Site Condition accepted by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) under the Environmental Protection Act", as General Committee recommended for 375 and 389–393 Yonge Street in September 2025.
- The Province decides: drinking-water standards (Ontario Regulation 169/03); accepting Records of Site Condition; air monitoring (the Perry Street station); spill reporting (the Spills Action Centre). The Metrolinx conviction was under a provincial statute, the Ontario Water Resources Act.
- Ottawa decides: what industrial facilities must report to the NPRI.
Sources: General Committee Minutes, September 10, 2025, City of Barrie — General Committee, dated September 10, 2025. Original document. 25-G-200 (375, 389–393 Yonge Street): a holding provision lifted only once the owner satisfies a Certificate of Property Use and/or Record of Site Condition accepted by MECP under the Environmental Protection Act. O. Reg. 169/03: Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards, Government of Ontario (e-Laws). Original document. Schedule 2, chemical standards: trichloroethylene 0.005 mg/L. Annual Air Pollutant Statistics: NO2, PM2.5 and O3, station 47045 (Barrie, 83 Perry St.), Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Original document. Read from the workbooks NO2_Data_1995-2025.xlsx and PM25_Data_2003-2025.xlsx. PM2.5 was measured with a TEOM sampler from 2003 to 2012, a SHARP 5030 from 2013 to 2022 and a Teledyne T640 from 2023. MECP says the 2013 change raised annual means because the new instruments measure more accurately; it does not mean air quality changed. Environmental Occurrences & Spills, 2003–2025 (reports with site municipality Barrie), Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks — Spills Action Centre (counted by this site). Original document. This site's count of reports whose site municipality is Barrie, by year reported, 2003 to 2025: 2,271 in all. MECP publishes only the municipality, without an address, because the locations reported to it are not verified. Metrolinx handed $185K fine for 2022 diesel spill in Kempenfelt Bay, BarrieToday (Nikki Cole), dated July 31, 2026. Original document. Archived copy. Guilty plea July 28, 2026 under s. 30(1) of the Ontario Water Resources Act; $185,000 fine plus a 25% victim fine surcharge; 3,528 litres of diesel from the Allandale layover yard, August 2022. Using and interpreting data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory, Environment and Climate Change Canada, dated February 24, 2025. Original document. Who must report (more than 20,000 employee hours a year, listed activities such as wastewater treatment, or listed substances above threshold), what the NPRI does not collect, and its warning that changing requirements affect year-to-year comparisons. All retrieved October 7, 2026.
Common questions
Is there TCE contamination in Barrie's groundwater?
Yes, by the City's own account. Its 2026 capital plan describes an "existing southern trichloroethylene (TCE) plume" whose source "is still active" and calls it "the single-largest contributor to the degradation of the City's drinking water aquifers". The plan does not say where the plume is.
Is Barrie's tap water safe from TCE?
The City's 2025 drinking-water report says all VOC test results were below the provincial drinking-water standards. The highest trichloroethylene result in its treated-water table is 0.0004 mg/L; the Ontario standard is 0.005 mg/L.
Who regulates pollution in Barrie, the City or the Province?
Both, for different things. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks runs the air monitoring station, takes spill reports and accepts Records of Site Condition; drinking-water standards are a provincial regulation; the federal government runs the National Pollutant Release Inventory. The City funds its own contamination projects and decides land use, including holds on rezonings until the Province has accepted a site's condition.