Downtown Calgary and the Bow River are seen from the air on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The city of Calgary has brought in some outdoor water restrictions due to ongoing drought conditions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – Alberta’s largest city has brought in some outdoor water restrictions due to record low flows on the Bow and Elbow rivers that supply it and other downstream communities across the Prairies.
Under Calgary’s Water Utility Bylaw, restrictions can be put in place to conserve water in times of shortage.
“Because we continue to see dry conditions and record-level low flows in the Bow and Elbow rivers, we are now moving the drought dial to very low and declaring outdoor watering restrictions at Stage 1,” Nicole Newton, the city’s manager of natural environment and adaptation, told reporters in Calgary on Tuesday.
“This issue is not related to water quality, but rather an issue of water quantity.”
The Bow and Elbow rivers, which both start in the Rockies, merge at the city of Calgary. The Bow River then joins the Oldman River in southern Alberta to become the South Saskatchewan River that goes into Saskatchewan and eventually empties in the Hudson’s Bay.
Chris Huston, manager of drinking water distribution, said Calgarians use about 650 million litres of water each day.
“We’re trying to get that down, so that’s why these restrictions are important,” he said.
Newton said the water restrictions could save up to 40 Olympic-size swimming pools of water each day. That, she said, could help to irrigate up to 5,000 hectares of crops downstream.
“With the forecasted warm and dry water conditions on the horizon, this will greatly help sustain the city of Calgary’s water supply as well as supporting our neighbours downstream and the biodiversity that relies upon this precious resource,” she said.
The water restrictions in Calgary limit all customers who use municipal water, including residences, businesses and city operations.
Residents, for example, are limited to watering lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs to one day a week and are prohibited from washing outdoor surfaces or vehicles on their driveways.
“There are exceptions to the bylaw, particularly for health and safety concerns and core business needs,” she said.
Newton noted that the city will take an education-first approach when it comes to enforcement.
“Our bylaw officers will be out on patrol supporting Calgarians in understanding what those restrictions entail,” she said.
Those who don’t comply, she said, could face a $400 fine for a violation.
Newton said the city has brought in water restrictions during floods, but “this is the first time that the city of Calgary has enacted outdoor water restrictions as a result of drought.”
The flow on the Elbow, said Newton, is the lowest it’s been since around 2000 and the Bow River is the lowest it’s been since 1911.
“We did experience a low snowpack this year as well as an earlier-than-normal snowmelt,” she said. “It is not normal for this time of year. I’m not sure I want to say unprecedented, but I do think that there are some historical lows that are taking place.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2023.
