Public Services

Many Ottawa commuters use transit, walk or cycle to work

Cycling, walking and vehicle ownership rates vary greatly across the City

Total tonnage of residential waste has not declined, but tonnes going to landfill has

Participation of Ottawa households in composting compares favourably to other major cities

Household consumption of water has declined continuously and significantly since 2007

The proportion of households using tap versus bottled water has been increasing

Discharges of untreated sewage to the Ottawa River hit record levels in 2017

Community Green House Gas Emissions have decreased by more than the short-term targets between 2012 and 2018

There is a large variation in the energy intensity of public-sector institutional buildings

Solar capacity has grown significantly, but still meets only a small proportion of demand

Urban growth higher outside the Greenbelt

Tree cover within the urban boundary is below target levels

Surface water quality varies greatly across Ottawa, but phosphorous is a widespread problem