Where to Buy Distilled Water in the GTA
The short answer. In the Greater Toronto Area you can buy distilled water at most grocery stores and pharmacies in 4 L jugs, at big box stores by the case, and directly from a water plant in 11 L and 18 L bottles. The last option is roughly a third of the price per litre. Everything below is the arithmetic behind that.
What distilled water actually costs, per litre
Price per bottle is the wrong number to compare, because the bottles are wildly different sizes. Price per litre is the number that tells you anything. Here is ours, and the range covers pickup at our plant through to delivery on our own truck.
| Size | Price | Litres | Per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 L (5 gallon) bottle | $5.00 to $8.90 | 18 | 28 to 49 cents |
| 11 L (3 gallon) bottle | $3.00 to $7.00 | 11 | 27 to 64 cents |
| 4 L case, four jugs | $13.50 to $15.50 | 16 | 84 to 97 cents |
| 500 mL case, 24 bottles | $9.75 to $11.75 | 12 | 81 to 98 cents |
A 4 L jug of distilled water on a grocery shelf in the GTA generally runs somewhere between $2.50 and $4.00, which puts it in the same 60 cents to $1.00 per litre band as the small formats above. Nothing wrong with that if you need four litres. It is an expensive way to buy sixty.
The reason the 18 L bottle wins is not that the water is different. It is the same water from the same still. You are simply not paying for eighteen litres worth of separate containers, or for someone to put them on a shelf.
Your options in the GTA, honestly
Grocery stores and pharmacies
Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, Shoppers, most independents. They carry 4 L jugs, usually one brand, usually beside the spring water. Good when you need it today and you need a small amount. The stock is inconsistent, which people discover when their CPAP is out and the shelf is empty.
Big box and warehouse clubs
Costco, Walmart, Canadian Tire. Cheaper per litre than a grocery store if you buy a multi pack, and worth it if you have the storage. You are still carrying it, and you are still buying a new plastic jug every time.
Auto parts and hardware stores
Distilled water sold for batteries and steam irons is the same product, and it is often cheaper. Read the label though. Some of what is sold for automotive use is deionized rather than distilled, and a few are only demineralized. For a battery that is fine. For a CPAP it is not what you were told to use.
Water depots and refill stations
You bring a bottle, they fill it. Cheap per litre and no new plastic. The catch is that the water is usually reverse osmosis rather than distilled, and those are not the same thing. RO typically leaves 10 to 50 parts per million of dissolved solids. Distilled runs 0 to 5. If the machine says purified, ask what process is behind the word.
Direct from a water plant
This is us, and a handful of others in the region. You buy in 11 L or 18 L, either picked up or delivered on a route. Cheapest per litre by a distance, no new container each time, and you can ask what the last batch tested at and get an actual number.
The bottle deposit, explained properly
An 18 L bottle carries a $10 refundable deposit, plus HST. That surprises people the first time, so it is worth being clear: it is a deposit, not a charge. It comes back when the bottle comes back to us in good reusable condition.
What it means in practice is that your first order costs $10 more than the running rate, once, and after that you are swapping empties for full ones and the deposit just sits there. If you stop buying water from us, bring the bottles back and take the money.
How to tell whether it is really distilled
The words on the front of a bottle are not regulated the way people assume. Purified, demineralized and distilled get used loosely, and they describe genuinely different products.
| Type | How it is made | Typical TDS |
|---|---|---|
| Distilled | Boiled, then the steam is condensed | 0 to 5 ppm |
| Deionized | Ion exchange resin | 0 to 10 ppm, ions only |
| Reverse osmosis | Forced through a membrane | 10 to 50 ppm |
| Purified | Any of the above, or none of them | 5 to 250 ppm |
| Spring | Sourced and filtered, minerals intact | 80 to 250 ppm |
TDS stands for total dissolved solids, measured in parts per million. It is the single most useful number, because it tells you how much of anything other than water is in the water. A meter costs about twenty dollars and settles the argument in three seconds.
If a supplier cannot tell you what their water tests at, that is the answer to your question.
How much you actually need
Most people overbuy or underbuy on the first order, so here is a rough guide from what our customers reorder.
- CPAP machine. Roughly one 18 L bottle a month, more in a dry winter room.
- Steam iron. A 4 L jug lasts most households months.
- Humidifier. Heavy. A whole house unit can go through 18 L in a fortnight during heating season.
- Aquarium. Depends entirely on tank size and how often you change water. Ask us and we will work it out with you.
- Espresso machine. A 4 L jug a month for a home machine, far more for a cafe.
- Lab, dental or medical. Usually 18 L bottles on a standing order, because running out is not an option.
Buying it from us
We have distilled our own water in Mississauga since 1986. We do not buy it in and relabel it, which is why we can tell you it tests between 0 and 5 parts per million rather than pointing at the label.
Pickup is free at 950 Verbena Road, Mississauga, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 15:30. No appointment and no minimum. Bring empties back on the same trip.
Delivery runs on our own trucks across the GTA: Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham, Burlington and Milton. Our drivers, so if something goes wrong you are talking to us and not a courier.
Start with the 18 L bottle if you have somewhere to put it, the 11 L if lifting is a consideration, or a 4 L case if you only need a little. Call 905-670-7400 if you would rather just ask somebody.
Common questions
Where is the cheapest place to buy distilled water in the GTA?
Per litre, directly from a water plant in an 18 L bottle. Ours works out to 28 cents a litre on pickup and up to 49 cents delivered, against roughly 60 cents to a dollar a litre for 4 L jugs on a shop shelf.
Can I buy distilled water at a grocery store?
Yes. Most GTA grocery stores and pharmacies carry 4 L jugs, usually near the spring water. Convenient, and the most expensive way to buy it in quantity.
Is store bought distilled water the same as what a water plant makes?
Usually the process is the same. What differs is how recently it was made, how it has been stored, and whether anybody can tell you what it tested at. Ask for the number.
Do I need a prescription or an account to buy distilled water?
No. Walk in during business hours and buy it. An account only matters if you want a standing delivery or wholesale pricing.
How long does distilled water keep?
Sealed and out of direct sunlight, effectively indefinitely for equipment use. Once opened it will slowly pick up minerals and carbon dioxide from the air, so keep the cap on and use an opened bottle within a few weeks for anything sensitive.
Can I put distilled water in my car battery?
Yes, that is one of its oldest uses. Minerals in tap water plate onto the lead plates and shorten battery life, which is exactly what distilled water avoids.
