Kawerau's discoloured water woes are being blamed on chlorination.
Photos and video uploaded to social media show the water has turned yellow.
"Kawerau water is yellow?!?! How n why??" one person wrote on Facebook.
"Unbelievable Kawerau Council. What you doing about this disgusting mess?" asked another.
The council says it's the treated supply flushing out the pipe lining.
"The chlorine is stripping it off, which is why it has turned that colour. It is not occurring everywhere, it is sporadic," Mayor Malcolm Campbell told NZME.
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He told Newshub it was the Government that recommended they treat the supply in the first place.
"They have not made it mandatory at present, but we wanted to be up and ready and going. That's the reason why we've done it."
Mr Campbell says the council will meet on Tuesday to find a resolution, with advice initially saying the water discolouration should go away in only a few months.
He says in the meantime, the water is safe to drink.
"We're getting some build-up after starting chlorinating last year. That build-up has come in off the pipes - that's what the colour is."
Running the tap for about 30 minutes should clear it out, Mr Campbell says.
Newshub.
