The extreme heat that recently hit Weyburn was the main culprit behind the discoloured water that flowed from many people's taps last week.

The mercury rose to just under 42 degrees C (or about 106 degrees F) on July 24, a new record for that date, which caused residents to use a large quantity of water in a short time in an effort to cool down, said Tom Williams of the city's water filtration plant.

He said water consumption increased to the point that the velocity of water going through some water mains was triple its normal speed, which caused sedimentation to be worked loose from the pipe walls.

"We've done tests in all areas of the city, and found that it's safe for human consumption. It was just a little discoloured," said Williams, adding that by about Thursday or Friday the water had begun clearing up again.

He added that the water was clean when it left the filtration plant. With the sedimentation loosened and picked up by the high-velocity flow of water, Williams doubted there would be a repeat with a return to hot weather.

"It shouldn't be nearly as severe next time. We had a fair amount of sedimentation scrubbed off," said Williams.