Understanding your home’s water quality is an important way for you and your family to continue enjoying the benefits of your NB Power water heater safely.

If your home runs on well water, NB Power, along with Health Canada, Public Health and the Department of Environment recommend that wells be tested twice a year for bacteria quality and every two years for chemical quality. As well, it’s recommended to get your wells re-tested if there is a change in the appearance, taste or smell of the water.

If you’re on municipal water, a change in appearance, taste or smell should be handled with care by having your water tested professionally and by contacting your local municipality or water treatment facility.

To help ensure your NB Power water heater is in tip-top shape, we recommend you flush your tank yearly. This can help minimize sediment and bacterial build-up in your tank.

Watch this video to learn how easy it is to flush your water heater.

My hot water is dirty. What should I do?

If your tap or toilet water starts to turn a rust colour (yellow, orange, brown or red,) your water may be high in iron. Water with high iron can be filtered to help ease this problem.

If you are on municipal water, heating your water can make your water quality issues more noticeable, especially those related to mineral content and contamination. You can contact your local municipality for assistance.

If you’re experiencing water quality issues with well water, we recommend you contact the New Brunswick Department of Environment to book a metal scan water test to determine the proper course of action.

My hot water smells bad. What should I do?

Sometimes bacteria, sediment, minerals or natural gases may find their way into the plumbing and sometimes into the water heater in your home, which can cause the water to smell differently. The following are the most common smelly water problems: