City of Calgary to lift outdoor water restrictions

The City of Calgary says it’s lifting restrictions on outdoor water use, but is still asking residents to make smart choices when it comes to H2O.

The removal of restriction is effective Tuesday, Oct. 31.

The shift of the drought monitoring dial to ‘dry’ is because of decreasing temperatures and seasonal shifts in water use, according to the city. As such, demand has stabilized and isn’t forecasted to increase.

Outdoor water restrictions were introduced in August amid dry conditions and record-setting wildfires throughout the province, which often left Calgary in a blanket of smoke.

The city is thanking residents for following the restrictions, which they say helped “tremendously” to reduce water demand during drought.

It says those conditions were caused by a low snowpack and early snowmelt, persistent hot, dry weather conditions, and low flows on the Bow and Elbow Rivers.

Calgarians saved 1.5 billion litres of water during the restrictions, the equivalent of 606 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Now, despite restrictions being lifted, residents are still asked to be “water-wise.”

This includes checking for and fixing any household leaks in your home, especially toilets, limiting showers to five minutes or less and keeping baths shallow, and using the dishwasher and washing machine only when required and with full loads.

Calgarians can also install high efficiency fixtures such as toilets, showerheads, and faucets, replacing old applicances with high-efficiency models, anmd considering creating yards and gardens that best suit the city’s climate.

According to the city, this is the first time the City of Calgary has required residents to reduce their outdoor water use due to drought, the area is prone to hot, dry summers.

It adds climate modelling indicates the city will continue to experience more severe and frequent weather events such as drought in the future.

The city will continue to monitor drought conditions and reduce its operational water use to further manage the available water supply.