Check an issue with your water

Find out what to do if your tap water is discoloured or has low pressure. You can also check advisories or report a water issue to the city.

Subscribe to service alerts to get updates on water issues in your neighbourhood.

On this page:

  1. Clear discoloured water
  2. Fix low water pressure
  3. Check boil water advisories
  4. Learn about water quality
  5. Report a water issue

Clear discoloured water

Occasionally, discoloured water can come out of your tap.

This can happen for a few reasons:

  • naturally occurring minerals found in our groundwater
  • older watermains can corrode
  • disturbance from maintenance work, watermain flushing or breaks 
  • malfunctioning water softeners and hot water tanks
  • fire training

To clear discoloured water:

  • don’t drink discoloured water
  • run a cold water tap for a few minutes until it runs clear
  • if it still looks discoloured after 5 minutes, wait an hour and try again

If the problem continues, call 519-886-2310.

Fix low water pressure

If you have low or no water pressure, start with your water softener:

  • compare a soft-water tap to a hard-water tap
  • put the softener on bypass
  • contact a plumber if the issue continues

Then check your plumbing:

  • check if the issue affects all taps or only some
  • if the issue only affects some, clean faucet aerators and remove debris
  • if only hot water is affected, contact your water heater provider or a plumber
  • make sure your main water valve, where water enters your home, is fully open

Visit the service alerts page to check for known issues such as watermain breaks or city maintenance.

If the problem continues, or you suspect a watermain break, call 519-886-2310.


If City Utilities are dispatched and the problem is caused by internal plumbing, the property owner may be charged for the visit.

Check boil water advisories

There are currently no active boil water advisories in Waterloo. 

Check the service alerts page for instructions if a boil water advisory is issued.

Learn about water quality

Learn how we monitor and protect drinking water:

Subscribe to service alerts for water quality updates.

Report a water issue

Tell us about an ongoing water quality problem or a supected watermain break:

  • call 519-886-2310
  • include the location and a brief description