Calgarians are being asked to voluntarily restrict their outdoor water usage this spring, ahead of permanent water use schedules—which will lead to water use restrictions—coming via bylaw changes in June.

Speaking at the City’s Water Centre on April 19, Nicole Newton, Manager of Natural Environment and Adaptation for the City of Calgary, said that snowpack levels have improved but have not recovered sufficiently to avoid water restrictions later this year.

“We are implementing a water reductions advisory asking Calgarians to reduce their water use and make every drop count at the City of Calgary. We’ve continued to reduce our water use and look for more ways to conserve water in our day-to-day operations,” she said.

“We are strongly advising Calgarians to join us in this effort to help manage the water supply in the Bow and Elbow rivers.”

She said that last year Calgarians were able to reduce outdoor water usage by approximately four percent during the restrictions that were put into place.

Newtown said that the City would be bringing forward changes to the water utility bylaw in June, along with an update to the City’s drought response, which will introduce permanent staged outdoor water use schedules.

“This action will position the city to be more responsive to changing drought conditions. It will include introducing permanent and staged outdoor watering schedules that will help support the transition to outdoor water restrictions,” she said.

“When this bylaw is passed, we plan to implement the appropriate watering schedules as soon as possible, working with Calgarians and businesses so they can understand the requirements moving forward.”

Among the actions being asked of Calgarians is to avoid watering after rain showers, choosing drought-resistant plants, watering in the early morning or evening, collecting rain in rain barrels for garden use, and then finding ways of limiting indoor water usage around the house like limiting shower times and turning off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth.

Newton said that indoor water use restrictions were not being considered for June’s bylaw update and that the biggest gains to be seen—between 20 to 30 per cent—would be found in outdoor water use during the outdoor watering season.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said that they’re asking citizens to do their part to conserve water and limit water usage where possible.

“Right now, we can all do our part to make sure that we’re conserving water. We’ve talked about full dishwasher loads, full loads of laundry, that type of thing, and really thinking about when you need to do outdoor watering,” she said.

The mayor also said that the city’s bylaw was dated and needed to be upgraded to reflect current conditions.

“We’re being highly adaptable to the situation we’re finding ourselves in,” she said.

Announcement followed memorandum of understanding for Bow River basin with province

The announcement by the City of Calgary regarding changes to the bylaw and upcoming water restrictions followed a historical agreement made by the City, the Government of Alberta, and water use stakeholders in the province.

Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Rebecca Schulz, made the announcement at the University of Calgary on April 19, alongside municipal, irrigation district, and major stakeholders for the Bow River, Oldman, and Red River basins.

She said that the agreements, which cover those basins, would only be activated in times of water scarcity and lead to voluntary reductions in water usage by five to 10 per cent.

"The exact amount will vary by community and of course, as on drought conditions as they change," said Minister Schulz.

Groups representing 90 per cent of the water users in the Bow River and Oldman River basins agreed to the memorandums of understanding, while 70 per cent of water users agreed in the Red River basin.

The timeline for implementation of the agreements would begin this summer, based on snowpack levels reported at the end of April, with capacity within the agreements to make adjustments if needed.

"These agreements are designed to be proactive, agile, and flexible enough to be adjusted in real-time as we see conditions change. Specific commitments are laid out in each one of the MOUs, which are designed for the water users in that specific area," Schulz said.

"We're also reaching out to the smaller or junior water licensees not participating in these specific water-sharing agreements, including private irrigators and smaller municipalities. We will be strongly encouraging them to decrease their water use and implement reduction measures."

Newton said that with Calgarians taking action today on water usage by following the voluntary water reductions advisory, Calgary would be better positioned ahead of any reductions asked for in the MOU.

"We're continuing to do our part today, we take the stress of drought risk very seriously, and if those agreements are enacted we are committed to reducing our water use by five to 10 per cent," she said.

"That wouldn't include potentially escalating our restrictions, but Calgarians are responding to our request to start to conserve water and we're seeing that through our demand. This is just part of those efforts to be able to prepare Calgarians for outdoor water restrictions, but also to look at those behaviour changes so we can meet our commitments in those agreements."