Calgary city council voted in favour of a new water use reduction plan from city administration, with various measures, including an outdoor watering schedule for homes and businesses.
It updates a plan that is 21 years old, said an administration report.
“While Calgary achieved significant reductions in per-capita water demand under the 2005 Water Efficiency Plan, overall water demand is starting to rise, and water efficiency gains have plateaued,” said the report, which came in response to a recommendation from the Independent Review Panel that investigated the 2024 Bearspaw South Feeder Main rupture that said the city should review its water demand.
Calgary's population in 2005 was 956,078; it is now nearing 1.6 million.
Administration recommended spending $160 million on new water meters that would enable daily usage tracking and tiered pricing. Overall, the spend on this new water efficiency action plan is estimated to be between $354 million to $420 million from 2027 to 2030.
The plan’s spending includes repairing leaking infrastructure pipes and a schedule for outdoor watering, which will force homeowners to water lawns, gardens and flower beds only three days a week, with even numbered addresses watering on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and odd numbered addresses watering on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, only between 7 p.m and 10 a.m.
Additionally, administration identified a list of plumbing to be used in newly-built homes and offices, as well as renovations. The list includes water saving toilets, urinals, showerheads, residential lavatory and kitchen faucets and more, including the use of approved outdoor sprinklers and hoses.
Administration said in its report the goal of these measures was a “20% reduction in per capita water demand by 2040.”
This is despite a report the city uses only about 43% of its licensed water capacity and worse, is losing an estimated 22% of treated water through leakage in its infrastructure, which has been on going since the terms of former mayors Naheed Nenshi and Jyoti Gondek.
The report outlined penalties for non-compliance, including city ‘directors’ with the powers to end water service and issue $200 fines to any user who does not follow the new rules.
Ward 6 Cllr. John Pantazopoulus put forward an amendment to make the watering schedule voluntary, but it was voted down by council.
His amendment was supported by Mayor Jeromy Farkas.
“We’re not in an emergency situation, we’re not in a drought situation, and outside of that I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask for those mandatory measures,” said Farkas.
Ward 11 Cllr. Rob Ward voted against the water efficiency action plan.
“I support responsible water use, protecting our rivers, and investing in long-term infrastructure resilience, but I could not support a plan that asks residents to permanently change their behaviour before city hall fully addresses its own system failures,” said Ward.
Ward 14 Cllr. Landon Johnston ran an online survey, as did Ward 12 Cllr. Mike Jamieson.
According to Johnston, 850 people participated, with 88% saying they oppose the plan as written and 85% saying the proposed $354 to $420 million price tag was not justified. In addition, 92% oppose granting the city the authority to disconnect water for watering schedule violations.
Administration said the city will initially take an education approach with potential violators, with Ward 10 Cllr. Andre Chabot telling reporters, “We’re not going to be draconian in the enforcement side of things. It’s trying to encourage people to do the right thing.”
City administration stressed disconnecting water is standard practice that has been in use in Calgary for 20 years and during that time, has been used only once.
“This additional stop-use order is only about restrictions level three or four when we’d be in an emergency situation and we’d need quick action,” said Water Services Director Nancy Mackay.
