Third-party investigation to be launched on water supply shortage in Waterloo Region

Mannheim Reservoir and Pumping Station in Kitchener on Dec. 4, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

Councillors at a special Region of Waterloo council meeting on Wednesday voted in favour of launching an investigation into the region’s water supply shortage.

Regional councillor, and former Cambridge mayor, Doug Craig brought forward the motion He said an investigation is necessary to outline “a clear timeline of events and decision points with findings on accountability and process gaps.”

“We should’ve had this discussion four years ago, knowing that on the horizon this was going to come up,” Craig said at the meeting. “And that’s what this motion is all about. It’s all about how did we get here? And understanding how we got here, and how we’re going to make recommendations to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The findings of the investigation are expected to come back to regional council next year.

“The goal is not to assign blame,” Craig said. “But to identify weaknesses in forecasting monitoring and reporting so that future infrastructure challenges are identified earlier and managed more effectively.”

A motion brought forward by Regional Councillor Joe Gowing to ask the province to implement a temporary moratorium on water-taking permits was deferred until more information could be gathered. That motion will return to council later this month.

History of water capacity concerns

Problems with water capacity in the region were first flagged in December 2025. At the time, the region said it uncovered a capacity issue within the Mannheim Service Area.

Officials warned there wouldn’t be enough water to support one million residents, which the region was expected to reach by 2051.

By January 2026, the region tightened its development rules.

The Mannheim Service Area currently provides water at 1,455 litres per second, while demand is 1,356 litres per second or about 93 per cent of the total. The region said that is not enough of an operational resiliency. They want a 20 per cent buffer for when infrastructure goes offline for repairs, spills or other emergencies. It is also needed for any future expansion of water treatment plants.

The pause on development led to some pushback from the developer community, as many projects were left in limbo.

In February 2026, Wilmot Township council passed a motion aimed at protecting its local water source as the Region of Waterloo considers drawing more groundwater from wells within the township.

At a council meeting a few weeks ago, regional staff explained why Waterloo Region was suddenly experiencing a water capacity issue.

“We’ve been taking more water out of the ground than what is sustainable,” Geoff Moroz, a hydrologist for the Region of Waterloo, said.

According to his report, the region has been using more than the stated maximum capacity for around three years, only maintaining regular water service through a temporary reserve system known as “peaking.”