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This spring, and effective immediately, the City of Calgary will be implementing a Water Reductions Advisory, asking Calgarians to reduce their water use, and likely Airdronians and Rocky View residents who use Calgary water will be asked to follow suit. As more and more people begin their outdoor yard work, it is important to remember that Alberta continues to experience high levels of drought. Other impactful actions that we are recommending Calgarians take include avoid watering during, or after, it has rained, choosing drought-tolerant plants, watering early morning or evening, and collecting rainwater in rain barrels for garden use. Indoors, impactful actions include limiting shower time, only running full loads of clothes and dishes, fixing leaky faucets and turning off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth. "Calgarians can do their part to conserve water and take action now," said Mayor Jodi Gondek, in a statement released to the public. "Additional restrictions may be required as conditions change throughout the season. We will be taking steps to ensure any changes are communicated quickly and clearly, and as early as possible to give Calgarians the necessary time to adapt." In June, The City will bring forward changes to the water utility bylaw and an update to Calgary’s drought response. Moving forward, the City will continue to monitor many indicators, especially how quickly the mountain snowpack melts, and the amount of spring rains our region receives to inform the upcoming water restriction later this season. The Government of Alberta is also stepping up to support Alberta’s drought conditions. On April 19, the Province announced the finalization of water-sharing agreements, including one for the Bow River Basin. The announcement acknowledged the signatories, which include Calgary and other municipalities, food producers, energy providers, and others across southern Alberta. These memorandums of understanding reflect the collaborative, practical and thoughtful approach to water management that we have seen in southern Alberta’s river basins for many years. If the Bow River water sharing agreement is activated this season, in response to conditions in the Bow River Basin, Calgary is committed to implementing drought response measures that collectively could achieve a 5-10 per cent reduction in overall water use. |
