In an ongoing commitment to improving safety around storm ponds, The City of Calgary will be installing additional safety measures at 15 city storm ponds this year beginning in mid-August. Through a review of ponds across The City, these locations were identified as the highest priority for safety enhancements.
Storm ponds are part of The City of Calgary’s stormwater infrastructure and are in many communities across the city. They are marked by caution signs following the perimeter of the pond, reminding people that going into or onto storm ponds is strictly prohibited.
Safety enhancements will include replacing old caution signage with new signage, installing new interpretive signage to increase awareness of risks, and increasing thorny and dense vegetation to create a barrier to the storm pond. Permanent partial fencing and temporary seasonal fencing will also aid in creating a physical barrier to public access. Storm ponds have been assessed to determine what safety measures will be applied at each pond.
Ongoing field assessments will continue to identify additional storm ponds that require safety enhancements. Current storm pond safety work can be viewed on the storm pond map available on calgary.ca/stormponds.
Storm pond safety is a priority for The City of Calgary with a focus on educating the public and creating awareness that recreational activities on storm ponds year-round are prohibited in accordance with the City Stormwater Bylaw.
It is important to remember that where there’s water, there’s risk; the importance of safety around storm ponds or any bodies of water cannot be understated. Stormwater ponds are working stormwater facilities, not recreational areas. Stay safe, stay off storm ponds.
For more information on safety around storm ponds, visit calgary.ca/stormpondsafety.
What to do if you see someone in trouble in the water
Call for help and call 911.Throw them something to hang onto that floats.Reach out to them with something they can grip and pull them back to the edge, if you can do so safely.If you cannot reach them, keep them in your sights and memorize the location and a description of their clothing.Make sure that they receive medical attention for injuries, even if there are no apparent wounds.DO NOT enter the water unless you are trained in water rescue. 
– 30 –
‘;