Calgary suffers significant ongoing water loss due to leaky pipes

CALGARY – In 2022, Calgary experienced  substantial water loss due to leaky pipe connections, with nearly one-quarter of its treated water, totalling more than 30 billion litres, lost.

BILD Calgary Region CEO Brian Hahn highlighted this issue in a letter to the city, noting that 88 per cent of the water loss stemmed from system leaks.

Considering the average daily residential water use, this loss equals an additional 1.5 residents per home. Hahn emphasized that addressing these leaks is essential for significant improvements in water consumption per person.

“Until these system water leaks are repaired, substantial improvements in water consumption per person are limited to improvements in end-user consumption,” he wrote.

He presented these findings to the infrastructure and planning committee in June and July, comparing Calgary’s 22 per cent water loss rate to Edmonton’s much lower rate of 5.4 per cent in 2021.

The recent rupture of the Bearspaw south feeder main on June 5 has brought the city’s water system under scrutiny. Hahn urged for a network-wide assessment of Calgary’s water efficiency and water loss to be included in the scope of a third-party review investigating the rupture.

He questioned whether the system’s efficiency is being optimized, especially considering the water utility rates paid by customers.

Efforts to tackle water loss in a vast distribution network

Calgary’s water distribution network spans over 5,400 kilometres and includes around 345,000 service connections. Despite adopting the “30-in-30” water efficiency plan in 2005, aimed at reducing water consumption by 30 per cent over 30 years, water loss remains a challenge.

Thanks to conservation programs and behavioural changes, Calgarians have reduced their collective water use from 518 litres per capita per day in 2003 to the 30-in-30 target of 350 litres in 2023. However, a 2020 city report indicated increasing trends in water loss, prompting the development of a strategy to validate and address the issue.

Efforts to manage water loss include a proactive leak detection system using satellite imaging and acoustic sensors, and a cathodic protection program to delay pipe deterioration. Since adopting a new water loss strategy in 2019, the city has successfully reduced water loss by 15 per cent over three years, from 337 litres per connection per day in 2019 to 286 litres per connection per day in 2022.