Understanding outdoor water restrictions

There are times when we may need to call on all Calgarians to temporarily reduce their non-essential outdoor water use, such as when:

• less water is available in the rivers, due to drought
• we’re repairing or upgrading our water treatment infrastructure
• water demand is high due to hot temperatures and is straining the capacity of our water treatment plants
• river water quality is poor, and it takes longer to treat

If we all do our part and follow the restrictions when they’re in place, we can reduce the strain on the river and water treatment plants.

The restrictions apply to all City of Calgary Water Utility customers, including:

There are some exceptions that allow certain customers to continue outdoor water use for health and safety reasons or for core business needs. This includes:

• Watering plants, shrubs and trees for commercial sale.
• Washing outdoor surfaces for childcare facilities, restaurants, kennel and animal care facilities.
• Washing of vehicles subject to health and safety regulations.
• Businesses that have a license to operate exterior window washing services.

Outdoor water restrictions will be announced through local news and through The City’s social media channels.

There are four stages of mandatory outdoor water restrictions, based on the severity of the water shortage. The following table explains how and when you can use water outdoors.

Water restrictions are governed and enforced under the Water Utility Bylaw. While we strive to take an education-first approach with Calgarians, it’s important that we all do our part so there are penalties for violations that depend on the stage of water restriction.