Calgary \u2013 April 28, 2026\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
City\u00a0Council\u00a0has approved Calgary\u2019s updated\u00a0Water Efficiency Plan, committing to reducing water loss\u00a0and\u00a0introducing\u00a0a\u00a0year-round\u00a0lawn\u00a0and landscape\u00a0watering\u00a0schedule. Together, these actions\u00a0help\u00a0ensure Calgarians continue to have reliable access\u00a0to water for homes, businesses and essential services long into the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Calgarians turn on the tap, they expect water to be there today, tomorrow and as our city grows,\u201d said Rehana Rajabali, Manager, Natural Environment & Adaptation. \u201cUsing water wisely is one of the most effective ways to protect the reliability of our water supply.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The updated plan, which builds on decades of water efficiency success, focuses on\u00a0reducing stress on aging infrastructure,\u00a0managing Calgary\u2019s water demand more efficiently\u00a0and\u00a0protecting\u00a0the\u00a0rivers\u00a0that supply Calgary\u2019s water.\u00a0It sets a\u00a0city-wide\u00a0long-term goal to reduce water use by 20 per cent by 2040.\u00a0The plan invests in leak reduction programs and modern water metering to make our water system more efficient.\u00a0For Calgarians, the plan makes it easier to save water at home and outdoors through education programs\u00a0and\u00a0incentives for popular items like rain barrels.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reducing water loss and strengthening infrastructure performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Water Efficiency Plan\u00a0prioritizes\u00a0the role The City plays in leading by example.\u00a0These\u00a0actions\u00a0include:\u00a0<\/p>\n
reducing water loss through proactive leak detection and renewal of aging pipesmodernizing water meters to improve data and early leak detectionexploring\u00a0conservation-oriented rates to support efficient water useusing better information to guide system operations and future investments\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe heard from many Calgarians in recent months who want to see\u00a0The City\u00a0take leading actions,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Rajabali.\u00a0\u201cAddressing water loss is\u00a0a\u00a0core\u00a0pillar of the Water Efficiency Plan,\u00a0and we are investing in leak detection, repair, metering and system optimization.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Managing outdoor water use more efficiently\u00a0<\/p>\n
As\u00a0part of\u00a0the plan,\u00a0Council\u00a0has approved\u00a0the introduction of a\u00a0year-round\u00a0lawn\u00a0and\u00a0landscape\u00a0watering\u00a0schedule.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLawn and landscape\u00a0watering\u00a0is\u00a0one of the biggest drivers of peak summer water demand,\u00a0which can be up to 40\u00a0per cent\u00a0higher than an average winter day,\u201d said Rajabali.\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0lawn\u00a0and landscape\u00a0schedule\u00a0helps everyone\u00a0take\u00a0turns so we can\u00a0spread\u00a0out\u00a0water\u00a0demand\u00a0throughout the week.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0schedule provides a\u00a0practical and predictable way to water\u00a0your lawn and landscape\u00a0by:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Allowing\u00a0sprinkler and irrigation watering up to three days a week, for as much as 45 hours per week.Spreading watering across assigned days, so everyone isn\u2019t watering at the same time. Even street addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and odd addresses on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.Encouraging watering during cooler\u00a0evening, overnight and morning hours (12 a.m. to\u00a010 a.m. and 7\u00a0p.m. to 11:59\u00a0p.m.)\u00a0to reduce evaporation and support healthier landscapes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lawn\u00a0and landscape\u00a0watering schedules are a common best practice\u00a0for water utilities\u00a0and are\u00a0used in many cities across North America to manage peak water demand during the summer months and keep long-term infrastructure costs down.\u00a0Clear exemptions are included to allow for the watering of trees, food gardens and newly planted landscapes\u00a0at\u00a0any time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0City\u00a0will take an\u00a0education-first approach\u00a0as Calgarians adjust to the new schedule.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0watering\u00a0schedule\u00a0sets\u00a0routine and predictable\u00a0days\u00a0for lawn\u00a0and\u00a0landscape watering.\u00a0Water restrictions\u00a0are\u00a0different. They are\u00a0temporary,\u00a0more\u00a0limiting and\u00a0apply to\u00a0a broader range\u00a0of\u00a0outdoor\u00a0water\u00a0uses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Water Efficiency Plan\u00a0is a renewed\u00a0commitment to managing\u00a0water\u00a0wisely.\u201d\u00a0Rajabali\u00a0said. \u201cSmall changes in everyday habits add up, and together they help protect our\u00a0infrastructure, the rivers,\u00a0and our city\u2019s future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Calgary \u2013 April 28, 2026\u00a0\u00a0 City\u00a0Council\u00a0has approved Calgary\u2019s updated\u00a0Water Efficiency Plan, committing to reducing water loss\u00a0and\u00a0introducing\u00a0a\u00a0year-round\u00a0lawn\u00a0and landscape\u00a0watering\u00a0schedule. Together,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1158,51,1156,953,1157],"class_list":{"0":"post-24251","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-calgary","8":"tag-banner","9":"tag-calgary","10":"tag-city-news","11":"tag-city-of-calgary","12":"tag-city-release"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}