Health Inspections

View inspection results or submit a complaint at Check it! We inspect it.

Business owners can find more information by visiting Health Standards for Businesses.

What do public health inspectors do?

Public health inspectors work to keep the food, water, environment and people of Waterloo Region safe from health risks. Their job is to protect the community by promoting safe health practices and working with local businesses to prevent illness. Our inspectors complete over 7,000 inspections each year in Waterloo Region.

Protect

Public health inspectors are experts in assessing and reducing health risks. They are one of the community’s first lines of defence in preventing the spread of disease and maintaining safe environments. They provide education and enforce the laws that protect the health of the communities they live and work in.

Region of Waterloo public health inspectors work with:

Restaurants, cafes and other food premises
Childcare centres
Long-term care, retirement and group homes
Public pools, splash pads and other public recreational water facilities
Drinking water facilities
Tattoo and body piercing shops
Hair salons and barber shops
Spas and nail salons
Regulated health professionals like dental and other health clinics
Special events coordinators and vendors
Farmers markets staff and vendors
Various professionals (e.g., researchers, local government, provincial and federal agencies)

Promote

Public health inspectors provide education and support to help reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and diseases like rabies. They also work with businesses to help them follow provincial health laws and promote safe, healthy environments for clients and staff.

Prevent

Public health inspectors work behind the scenes to make sure environments are safe for the community. They are required by the Ministry of Health to:

Conduct inspections
Respond to complaints and food recalls
Collect samples
Investigate illnesses and health hazards
Help manage outbreaks

Making a complaint

Submit a complaint to Public Health if you:

Think you have food poisoning after eating at a food business in Waterloo Region
Have concerns about the food safety practices at a food establishment in Waterloo Region

Call 519-575-4400 to make a complaint or report online through our Check It! We Inspect It. website.

It is helpful for our investigation to know:

Where you ate
When (date and time) you went to the place or ate the meal
What you ate
What symptoms (a rash, for example) you have and when they first developed

To determine whether the illness was caused by the suspected food, submit a stool sample to Public Health. Stool kits are available from the Public Health Inspector who connects with you.

To file a complaint about a regulated health care professional or health care setting, see the Infection Prevention and Control Lapse page.

File searches

Lawyer and realtor offices may request a file search for outstanding work orders from the businesses below:

Food service (restaurants, take-out, caterers)
Food retailers
Spas (facials, hair removal, permanent makeup)
Nail salons
Barbershops and salons
Long-term care facilities and retirement homes
Congregate living settings (shelters, group homes, homes for special care)
Licensed child care centres
Piercing and tattooing businesses
Recreational water facilities
Overnight camps
Small drinking water systems

For septic system file searches, contact your local municipality.

The owner must provide consent along with the request.

For a file search, the fee is $115.00 per business (plus HST)
For a file search and on-site inspection, the fee is $200.00 per business (plus HST)

Please make cheques payable to “Region of Waterloo Public Health” or “Region of Waterloo”. You can send cheques and requests by mail to one of the addresses below, depending on the location of the search: