Water Filtration Systems in North Bay
Water filtration in North Bay is a test-first installation service from Poly-B Plumbing for homes and cottages on wells, lake intakes and municipal water in North Bay, Callander, Sturgeon Falls, Powassan and the surrounding communities. A filtration system is one or more stages, sediment, iron, sulfur, carbon, UV or reverse osmosis, chosen to remove what the water test found and installed in the right order so each stage protects the next. Poly-B tests the water first, installs whole-home and point-of-use systems to code, and usually has a system in within three to five days of the results. Call 705-345-6616.
Service hours
- Monday to Thursday7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Friday7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Saturday and SundayClosed
Emergency service is available during business hours only. Members of the $49-per-month plan get priority scheduling.
Which filter for which problem
Filtration is not one product. The table is the order Poly-B Plumbing thinks in: what the test shows, then the stage that handles it. Stages are installed in sequence, sediment first and UV last, so silt does not foul the iron filter and shadows do not hide bacteria from the lamp.
| What the test found | What you notice | Stage Poly-B installs |
|---|---|---|
| Sediment and silt | Grit at the taps, cloudy water, clogged aerators | Spin-down or cartridge sediment filter at the entry |
| Iron and manganese | Orange or black staining, metallic taste | Backwashing iron filter, air-injection or media tank |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Rotten-egg smell | Air-injection or catalytic carbon system |
| Hardness | Scale, spots, stiff laundry | Softener; see the softener page |
| Chlorine taste or odour (municipal water) | Pool smell at the tap | Carbon block, whole-home or under-sink |
| Coliform, E. coli, cysts | Nothing visible; a lab result | Viqua UV disinfection after sediment filtration |
| Low pH | Blue-green stains, copper pinholes | Neutralizer |
| Lead, VOCs, PFAS concern | Nothing visible; a lab result or a location | Activated carbon and reverse osmosis at the drinking tap |
| Tannins | Tea-coloured water from a shallow well | Tannin resin unit |
Whole-home or under the sink?
| Whole-home (point of entry) | Point of use (under sink or fridge) | |
|---|---|---|
| Treats | Every tap, shower, appliance and the water heater | One tap, usually the kitchen |
| Best for | Iron, sulfur, sediment, hardness, bacteria: anything that damages plumbing or is in every fixture | Taste, chlorine, lead, PFAS: things that matter in drinking water only |
| Typical stages | Sediment, iron or sulfur media tank, softener, UV | Carbon block, reverse osmosis, inline fridge filter |
| Maintenance | Media backwash, salt, annual UV lamp, sediment cartridge every 3 to 12 months | Cartridges every 6 to 12 months, RO membrane every few years |
| Poly-B’s usual advice | Every well with iron, sulfur or a bacteria result | Municipal homes wanting better drinking water, and as the final stage on any well |
PFAS and North Bay
PFAS, the group of persistent chemicals used in firefighting foams and industrial products, is a live topic in North Bay because of historical use in the airport area, and the City of North Bay maintains a PFAS information page covering the municipal supply and monitoring. The municipal Trout Lake supply is monitored by the City. For private wells near affected lands, or for any household that wants a margin, activated carbon and reverse osmosis at the drinking water tap are the treatment methods recognized to reduce PFAS, and Poly-B Plumbing installs both. Poly-B does not sell PFAS treatment on fear; it sells it on a lab result or a location, and says which.
What a filtration system costs in North Bay
Poly-B Plumbing quotes filtration flat-rate, in writing, after the water test. The price depends on:
- How many stages the test calls for. One sediment filter, or sediment plus iron plus UV, are different systems.
- Whole-home or point of use. A media tank with a drain and a bypass costs more than an under-sink carbon block.
- Location and drain. Backwashing filters need a drain with an air gap and power; a crawlspace or a long drain run adds work.
- Flow rate. A larger household needs larger media beds so the water does not slow down on laundry day.
Quick installs are usually available within three to five days of the test results. Members of the $49-per-month plan get 10 percent off, an annual system check and priority booking.
Why filtration comes up around North Bay
Canadian Shield wells around Corbeil, Astorville, Bonfield, Nipissing and Redbridge carry iron and often sulfur and manganese out of the rock, and their soft, slightly acidic water pinholes copper. Shallow wells and lake intakes near Lake Nipissing pick up tannins and, after a wet spring, bacteria. Inside the city, the Trout Lake supply is filtered, disinfected and pH-adjusted at the plant, so most municipal calls are about taste or a drinking-water margin rather than staining. The test sorts all of it; Poly-B does not install a stage the test did not ask for.
Licensing and code
A filtration system ties into the building’s water supply and, for backwashing units, its drainage, with an air gap at the drain so the system cannot become a cross-connection. That is licensed plumbing work in Ontario under Plumber (306A), a compulsory trade regulated by Skilled Trades Ontario. Poly-B’s owner holds Red Seal journeyman certification, is licensed for plumbing, wells, septic and backflow prevention, and carries up to $5 million in liability insurance. Poly-B services systems installed by others where they are safe and accessible.
Sources: City of North Bay, PFAS information; City of North Bay water quality reports; Skilled Trades Ontario, Plumber (306A).
How Poly-B installs filtration
Test the water
Hardness, iron, sulfur, pH and dissolved solids on site; bacteria and chemistry at the lab where they matter.
Size and recommend
Stages in the right order, sized to the flow, with a written quote and no stage the test did not ask for.
Install to code
Bypass valves, air-gapped drain, proper mounts and connections, power for UV and backwash valves.
Commission and label
Every component labelled, filter intervals written down, UV lamp date recorded.
Maintain
Reminder service and annual checks for members; cartridges and lamps stocked for the systems Poly-B installs.
What customers around North Bay say
“I started a service with my water system with Poly-B Plumbing. To look after my filters and UV light. I highly suggest to let Poly-B Plumbing set up a service plan per your needs.”Wayne Macchiusi, Google review, May 2025
Where Poly-B installs filtration
Water filtration questions from homeowners around North Bay
What is the difference between a filter and a softener?
A softener removes hardness, the calcium and magnesium that scale kettles and water heaters. A filter removes contaminants: iron, sediment, sulfur, chlorine, bacteria. Many wells around North Bay need both, in that order.
Do I need UV if I am on a well?
If the lab finds coliform or E. coli, yes. UV disinfection after a sediment filter is the standard treatment, and the lamp is replaced yearly. Poly-B Plumbing installs Viqua units.
Can Poly-B service a system someone else installed?
Usually yes, as long as the system is safe and accessible. Poly-B Plumbing tests the water in and out to confirm it is doing its job before servicing it.
What does maintenance involve?
Sediment and carbon cartridges every three to twelve months depending on the water, a UV lamp yearly, salt for a softener, and a media or backwash check on iron and sulfur filters. Poly-B Plumbing labels every component with its interval.
Does a filter remove PFAS?
Activated carbon and reverse osmosis at the drinking tap are the methods recognized to reduce PFAS. Poly-B Plumbing installs both and recommends them on a lab result or a location near affected lands, not on fear.
Book a water test and filtration quote in North Bay
Monday to Thursday 7 am to 7 pm, Friday 7 am to 5 pm. Most systems are installed within three to five days of the test results.
Call 705-345-6616 Request a free online quote
Poly-B Plumbing, 1107 Yellek Trail, North Bay, ON P1B 8G5.