Waterloo region outlines scope of its water capacity issue

Regional staff say a supply shortfall in the Mannheim Service Area is reducing available water capacity and limiting new servicing agreements and development support; officials say there is no immediate impact to residents' water quality or consumption.

Regional staff have outlined a water supply shortfall affecting the Mannheim Service Area, which serves Kitchener, Waterloo and parts of Cambridge, Woolwich and Wilmot. Officials say the issue concerns water quantity — demand currently outpaces available capacity — and not water quality. Staff reported aging infrastructure and an increase in shutdowns at water facilities prompted a detailed review and an updated method for tracking capacity. The region says there is no immediate impact to residents and it has not asked people to change their water use. Key details: - The supply shortfall is concentrated in the Mannheim Service Area and was identified after staff observed lower levels in large storage tanks and groundwater thresholds. - The region has said it cannot enter into new servicing agreements and therefore cannot support approvals for new development that need regional connections, while existing permits remain in place. - Staff updated the region’s capacity-tracking methodology following the review to reflect more accurate information about system stress. - Next steps include a technical working group and a municipal planning working group, detailed design work to repair capacity at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant, planned repairs at Parkway and Greenbrook treatment plants, and engagement of external engineers and provincial approvals for longer-term infrastructure projects. Summary: The shortfall is constraining the region’s ability to support new servicing agreements and will require repairs and additional infrastructure to restore capacity. Regional staff have convened working groups and are proceeding with design and repair work while longer-term projects and provincial approvals are being pursued.