Potholes continue to plague roads across Waterloo Region
Posted Jan 16, 2026 06:42:28 AM.
Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 03:17:27 PM.
As wild winter weather and temperatures have jumped all over the board in the last several weeks, city crews have been out battling more than just the snow: they’re filling in potholes.
Municipalities across the region, and the rest of the province, are seeing a large spike in the number of complaints when it comes to potholes because of the recent thaw.
Bob Henderson, the director of transportation services at the City of Waterloo, said Waterloo is one of them, noting it is typical for this time of year.
“Last year was a pretty tough year, especially at the end of the winter season,” said Henderson. “We really saw a thaw out in the spring, and that was obviously a significant year where we had to replace a lot of potholes.”
Henderson notes they are tracking fewer complaints compared to last year, but there is still a lot of winter left. So far in 2026, Waterloo has had 48 pothole requests. In 2025, they had 322.
“If we can get a steady winter going, it shouldn’t be nearly as significant as we saw last year,” said Henderson.
Potholes occur when water freezes in cracks and pops open the asphalt. Typically, they form around the zero-degree mark when the ice melts, leaving spaces in the road for drivers to run over.
How to report a pothole in each municipality
- Kitchener – Residents can call 519-741-2345 or fill out an online form.
- Waterloo – Residents can use an online form.
- Cambridge – Residents can call 519-623-1340 or fill out an online form.
During the winter, a temporary fix of cold-mix asphalt is used to fill in the holes, then a mix of hot asphalt is brought in later for a permanent fix.
“At times when the asphalt is available, we have to travel to Hamilton to get it,” said Henderson. “They restore the road much better than a cold mix.”
Filling potholes is done year-round, and is primarily taken care of by city crews, but Henderson notes they will do regional roads on a contract basis.
Between Jan 1 to Jan 13, the City of Kitchener had 134 pothole complaints, versus the 1,684 seen in all of 2025. That number was higher than 2024 (921), 2023 (1,145), 2022 (1,111) and 2021 (351). In 2020, the city had 1,706 pothole complaints.
In Cambridge, that city has responded to 58 complaints on city roads and 33 on regional roads through contract since the beginning of December 2025 to January 12.
Anyone who spots a pothole is asked to contact their local municipality.
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