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Calgary Passes Water Plan With Odd-Even Watering and Leak Repairs

City leaders are betting targeted rules will ease summer strain on a leak-prone system.

According to the City of Calgary, the outdoor watering schedule will allow sprinkler and irrigation watering up to three days a week in the evening hours.
Calgary looks to cut back its water supply as its city continues to grow. The Bow River, a major part of the city's water supply, flows through the downtown as warm fall weather continues in Calgary on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A lawn sprinkler was photographed in Calgary on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.

Overview

  • City council approved the 2026 Water Efficiency Plan in a 10–5 vote that makes outdoor watering rules mandatory.
  • Homes with odd-numbered addresses may water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, while even-numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, only between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to cut evaporation and spread demand.
  • The plan budgets nearly $354 million over the next four years to curb leakage, with a goal to lower treated-water loss from about 22% in 2024 to 18% by 2030, and proposes $160 million to replace meters for daily-use tracking and possible tiered rates.
  • Officials say enforcement will start with education, though penalties include $200 fines and stop-use orders, and the power to disconnect service exists for emergencies and has been used once in the past decade.
  • A push to make the schedule voluntary failed, with the mayor backing that amendment but supporting the plan, and councillor-run surveys reported strong public opposition to the cost and to disconnection powers.