Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Calgary’s city council has approved the city’s updated Water Efficiency Plan with a commitment to reducing water loss and the introduction of a year-round lawn and landscape watering schedule.
The updated plan, a City of Calgary release said, focuses on reducing stress on aging infrastructure, managing Calgary’s water demand more efficiently and protecting the rivers that supply Calgary’s water, setting a city-wide long-term goal to reduce water use by 20 per cent by 2040.
“When Calgarians turn on the tap, they expect water to be there today, tomorrow and as our city grows. Using water wisely is one of the most effective ways to protect the reliability of our water supply,” City of Calgary manager of natural environment and adaptation Rehana Rajabali said.
The plan, the release said, prioritized several actions regarding the city’s role in water efficiency:
- educing water loss through proactive leak detection and renewal of aging pipes
- modernizing water meters to improve data and early leak detection
- exploring conservation-oriented rates to support efficient water use
- using better information to guide system operations and future investments
“We heard from many Calgarians in recent months who want to see The City take leading actions. Addressing water loss is a core pillar of the Water Efficiency Plan, and we are investing in leak detection, repair, metering and system optimization,” Rajabali said.
The council is also introducing a year-round lawn and landscaping watering schedule which will allow sprinkler and irrigation watering up to three days a week for as much as 45 hours a week and will spread watering across assigned days with even street addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and odd addresses on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
The city is also encouraging watering during cooler evening, overnight and morning hours (12 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.) to reduce evaporation and support healthier landscapes.
“Lawn and landscape watering is one of the biggest drivers of peak summer water demand, which can be up to 40 per cent higher than an average winter day. The lawn and landscape schedule helps everyone take turns so we can spread out water demand throughout the week,” Rajabali said.
