Calgary warns of tougher crackdown on outdoor water violations
Posted Jun 18, 2024 4:49 pm.
Last Updated Jun 19, 2024 6:30 am.
The City of Calgary is changing tactics and say there will be stricter enforcement when it comes to people breaking outdoor water restrictions.
During a Tuesday afternoon water update, deputy chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Cody Duerr said the city has been taking an education-first approach and mostly giving out warnings up to this point — but with restrictions now in place for nearly two weeks, he says everyone should know the rules.
“The direction to our peace officers is to proceed with ticketing if there is evidence of an offence for someone contributing to water restrictions,” he said.
He says they have only handed out two tickets up to this point, both to businesses, for not adhering to the Stage 4 restrictions. The specific penalty for an offence under the water utility bylaw is $3,000.
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“We are only ticketing those who are either repeat, or egregious offenders of the water bylaw,” Duerr said, citing examples of someone filling a pool, running sprinklers, or washing their car.
Duerr says it would be hard to believe any Calgary resident would be unaware of the restrictions at this point, due to daily updates and the media attention given to the city’s water emergency.
The following is restricted for residences:
- Watering lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs with city water
- Filling outdoor pools or hot tubs
- Washing outdoor surfaces, including:
- Windows
- Exterior building surfaces
- Sidewalks, driveways or walkways
- Filling fountains or decorative water features
- Washing your car in the driveway or street
- Using water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction or dust control
Businesses using large volumes of non-essential water are being asked to cease water use. Residents are also being asked to voluntary reduce 25 per cent of their indoor water use.
More information on stage 4 restrictions can be found here.
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Calgary and its surrounding areas have been under a combination of mandatory and voluntary water restrictions since a major feeder main burst along 16 Avenue NW on June 5, stopping up to 60 per cent of the city’s water supply.
Restrictions are expected to last three to five more weeks as crews work to repair five other defective spots along the pipe that were found late last week.
