The best way to get to know the historically significant R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is with a local guide.
This will be a FREE, public tour.
We will conduct it during the Doors Open Toronto event (May 27 and 28, 2023), which means that the building will be open to the public for free and we will be able to explore not just its outside but also its inside. Plant staff will also be on hand to answer questions.
This will be a good experience for curious locals, solo travellers, backpackers, small groups of friends, or newcomers.
ABOUT
The R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant was constructed in the 1930s, and is the largest of the City of Toronto’s four water treatment plants. It provides an average of 400 million litres of safe drinking water to residents in Toronto and York Region each day.
“Dubbed ‘The Palace of Purification’, the R.C. Harris was commissioned by Roland Caldwell Harris, Toronto’s first and longest-serving Public Works Commissioner, as a water showcase to highlight the routine and essential function needed to make cities possible. The R. C. Harris is the largest ensemble of Art Deco buildings in Toronto, providing an excellent example of how Art Deco style can integrate with Late Romanesque Revival and Modern Classical forms.The plant is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act as a National Historic Civil Engineering Site, and has been recognized as a Canadian Water Landmark by the American Water Works Association.” (Open Doors Toronto, via the Beach Metro)