Water restrictions in Calgary could start as soon as May

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With a warmer-than-usual spring in the forecast and persistent drought conditions, the City of Calgary is taking steps to reduce its water usage and is urging Calgarians to do the same.

In an update at city hall Tuesday morning, city officials said if the dry weather continues, they may soon have to enact outdoor water restrictions for the second time in as many years to conserve water for drinking and firefighting, protect river health and ensure supply for downstream neighbours. Restrictions could be in place as soon as May 1, they said.

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While recent snowfall in the Rockies and a dump of snow forecast for Calgary this week are a boon to the dwindling snowpack, “it is insufficient to break the drought,” said Nicole Newton, the city’s natural environment and adaptation manager. 

“We need significant above-average snowpack to be able to bring us out of drought conditions,” said Newton. “The watershed as a whole is in a deficit. It’s going to take a significant amount of precipitation to bring us back to normal and to restore the watershed.”

Newton said flow in the Bow and Elbow rivers remains low, reservoirs are currently around average levels, and the mountain snowpack is lower than average. Calgary’s water supply largely relies on the melting of the mountain snowpack flowing through local rivers and spring rains to fill its reservoirs, but Newton said forecasted dry and warm conditions may increase pressure on water supply.

“It’s important that we are mindful about how we use water,” she said. “With this in mind, we are prepared to step up our conservation efforts, and it’s important that Calgarians are prepared, too.”

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The city is already beginning to curtail the amount of water used in its operations.

“You’ll see some changes, like city vehicles looking a little less clean, like parks spaces looking less green, and many display fountains being turned off this year,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “Where water use is needed, we’re being smart about how we use it.”

Calgary residents asked to reduce water consumption

Residents, too, are being asked to conserve water voluntarily. The city said residents taking shorter showers, turning off taps during teeth brushing and shaving and only running dishwashers and laundry when there’s a full load, can save a household hundreds of litres of water per month.

Looking ahead to spring, Calgarians can install rain barrels, ensure downspouts are pointed toward their gardens or a rain barrel, and add mulch to garden beds, reducing the need for watering from the city supply. 

Gondek said the city has engaged several businesses — including industrial and agricultural water users — to identify ways they can conserve water.

Water restrictions between August and October last year helped the city save 1.5 billion litres of water — equivalent to 606 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

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Gondek said Calgary is a “big city on a small river,” but through infrastructure updates and efforts by increasingly climate-conscious residents, the city has managed to reduce its overall water use over the last two decades.

“In fact, we are taking less water from the river than we did in 2003, and we are serving a population that’s half a million bigger,” she said.

The mayor noted that drought is one of the top hazards the city faces as a result of climate change. She said the city has been making continued strides in terms of drought and climate change resilience, including the planting of native, drought-resilient plants and other naturalization efforts in parks and roadsides.

The city is expected to provide another update on its drought response in late April.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

X: @MichaelRdrguez

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