Happy Valley-Goose Bay resident Almore Patey holds up part of his hot water tank that he says was ruined by the town water. (CBC)

A resident in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has brought forward new concerns about the town's drinking water, blaming the water for corroding parts of his hot water tank.

The town council has been looking for a new source of drinking water after years of complaints about taste from the current well.

Resident Almore Patey took his concerns about the water supply to town council after parts of his hot water heater were destroyed by residue.

"You can't even get a sewing needle through it," Patey said of the various bits he removed from his hot water tank and plumbing. "It looks like iron and sand. It's hard to describe what's in there."

Almore Patey says this six-month-old pipe from his hot water tank was clogged by the town water. (CBC)

The heating element had rusted and was caked with a white chalky material, and the threads on a piece of pipe had rusted away.

The parts were installed only six months ago but look as if they've spent years in salt water, Patey said.

Safe to drink, mayor says

Happy Valley-Goose Bay has gotten its water from a well for the last four years. In that time, the town office has fielded complaints about how the water tastes and how it damages plumbing as well as flatware.

The water is safe to drink, Mayor Leo Abbass said.

"[In] all the reports we get back on our water supply, all of the ... chemical elements we find within the water come within the Canadian standard," he said.

The damaged parts from Patey's hot water heater will be tested to determine what caused the corrosion, Abbass said. He also said the town is looking for a new water source in hopes of solving some of the problems people have.