Icon Water has warned that the supply to some homes in the ACT has been "discoloured".
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It blamed high demand as temperatures soar - which saw more water consumed, and meant a greater and faster flow through the pipes, and churned up sediment getting carried to taps.
The company said that discoloured water was safe to drink.
However, it did not reccomend customers drink, bath or cook with discoloured water that appears, tastes or smells objectionable. It also advised people to not use household appliances, such as your dishwasher or washing machine, due to possible staining or discolouration of clothes.
A spokesman said the water discolouration could continue for some days, with a peak expected on Sunday as people returned from the coast and decided to water gardens.
The company said it couldn't predict who would be affected. As demand returned to normal, water would become clearer again.
“During the warmer weather, we all use more water. As we struggle to keep cool the extra usage can stir up naturally occurring sediment within the network”, Icon Water managing director Ray Hezkial said.
“The community has used 255 million litres in the last 24 hours – more than 100 Olympic sized pools. Daily consumption has not been this high since last summer. We are expecting that increased consumption will continue until temperatures cool.”
The company said the discolouration did not indicate that water was going to run out.
“While consumption has been high over the past few days, and this is understandable, we can assure the community that we are still in a position of strong water security, " said Mr Hezkial.
“That said we should all remember to use water responsibly and in line with the current Permanent Water Conservation Measures.”
Earlier in the week, Owen Gould, who is responsible for water planning and modelling at Icon Water, said a computer model which assumed extreme scenarios showed the water supply for Canberra was stable and secure.
"We expect that our source water system in its current state will meet the required level of service for many decades to come," he said.
Icon Water offered some options for those worried about the colour of water:
- Fill bottles using public water sources in other areas, such as public water fountains
- If you have a gym membership, consider using their shower facilities
- Ask friends or family in an unaffected neighbourhood if you can use their water
- Some people like to keep a jug of water in the fridge just in case they need it
- Include a supply of bottled water in your emergency kit.
