A water mains break in Tauranga city centre this morning has caused discolouration of water to homes and businesses from the city centre through to Greerton.

The discolouration of water is caused from naturally-occurring iron and manganese that deposits on the inside of the pipes and gets disturbed by the flow, a Tauranga City Council spokesperson said in a statement.

"The water is safe to drink but it may take some time for the discoloured water to work through the system.

"Our advice to residents experiencing water discolouration is to flush their outside taps for 5 – 10 minutes, and to call us on 07 577 7000 if the issue remains.

"We thank the community for their patience."