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Water Woes: Region Faces Capacity Crisis
14 Jan
Summary
- Water capacity issue identified in December 2025.
- New developments face delays due to water shortage.
- Infrastructure repairs are underway to boost capacity.
Staff in the Region of Waterloo have initiated actions to resolve a significant water capacity issue impacting future development projects. This concern, identified in December 2025 within the Mannheim Service Area, affects Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge, Woolwich, and Wilmot. Existing connections and development applications with permits issued as of 2024 are straining the current water supply.
To manage this, the region is transitioning from an integrated urban system approach to an individual service area method for tracking water capacity. This change follows observations of frequent infrastructure shutdowns and stressed water systems. A crucial short-term solution involves restoring the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant to full capacity, as 16% of the supply is currently offline for repairs.
Mid to longer-term strategies include designing and constructing new water infrastructure. Regional council is expediting repairs and will receive reports on development advisories and water conservation policies. Consequently, new development applications and servicing agreements will be paused until the water capacity issue is resolved, a move that has raised concerns within the development industry about investment and talent retention.
