Albertans, and Calgarians, were well-prepared for water restrictions this summer, but we all thought it would be because of the continuing drought. But the reason we are watching our water use right now came as a complete surprise to residents. Calgary experienced a massive water main break on June 5, which left the communities of Montgomery and Bowness without running water for several days until a workaround could be completed. The break was so dire and the pipe so pivotal that the city risked running out of water completely if residents didn’t immediately curtail their use.
More than two weeks later, the topic of water and its usage remains top of mind. On June 15, the City of Calgary announced a state of local emergency over the city’s threatened water supply. Along with the primary break, there have been five more discovered that require immediate attention. Parts are being sourced from across the continent, with the city of San Diego coming through in a big way with a supply of pipe to replace the damaged areas of Calgary’s original infrastructure, which was first put in place in 1975.
The pipe, which is known as the Bearspaw South Feedermain, is the most critical feedermain in Calgary’s water system. It allows for movement of water to the east and south parts of the city from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant in the northwest.
As everything is interconnected, what happens in one part of the system always impacts another. All the pipes that connect to the Bearspaw South Feedermain are also without water. It’s a huge piece of infrastructure that is 11 kilometres long, has the capacity to transfer more than 400 million litres of water each day, and has a diametre of from 1.5 metres to nearly 2 metres.
More than two weeks in and Calgarians have been doing great work at staving off the taps literally running dry. On day 12 of the water crisis, officials reported that Calgary had managed to reduce water usage by more than 27%, which is more than expected.
So far, city residents have saved a massive amount of water due to diligence and creativity. On June 15, water consumption was down to just 438 million litres consumed, a huge decrease from the usual 610 million litres daily.
The City of Calgary has put together a number of resources to help Calgarians understand the situation in real time, which includes live stream video updates daily. It’s important to note that Calgary is only able to produce 520 million litres of water a day, which means that reserves such as those in the Glenmore Reservoir are absolutely pivotal regardless of a water emergency. A key metric of the City’s plan is if reservoirs hit one-third capacity it will trigger a need to further limit water flow to ensure enough is available for fire-fighting efforts. In addition, community water mass distribution plans would have to be enacted, meaning Emergency Social Services would be activated to assist folks who have a medical condition that requires water for equipment.
Water use in the average Calgarian home
In Calgary, the average person uses about 7,000 litres of water per month, which includes water used outdoors for irrigation. More water is consumed in the bathroom than all other rooms combined. As such, it’s a great place to start to reduce the use of water in your household.
- Do not flush trash such as toothfloss and tissues.
- Keep shower times to less than five minutes and bring a bucket in with you to catch excess water to be used for other things, like watering your plants or soaking dishes.
- Install faucet aerators in the taps.
- Install high-efficiency toilets, faucets, and showerheads.
- Check toilets and faucets for leaks every six months.
Residential water restrictions
The City of Calgary is working hard to keep their website up-to-date with current information on the water restrictions. All outdoor water use is temporarily banned under Stage 4 Water Restrictions. Failure to do so could lead to fines starting at $3,000.
Business water restrictions
Business water restrictions depend on the type of service being provided and owners are asked to limit use to essential purposes.
Essential use exemptions include:
- Businesses using water to deliver a life-sustaining product or service
- Businesses that must use water to meet health code standards, such as hospitals and restaurants
It is very important to follow the directions of officials in situations such as these. As a business owner, failure to do so could potentially nullify the coverage provided by your business insurance.
The Alberta drought and provincial agriculture
Even after some much-needed rain throughout the province this month, as of June 6 Alberta was still in stage 4 (out of 5) of its water shortage management response plan. There are 24 water shortage advisories in place for select water management areas across Alberta.
At the beginning of June there were several parts of Alberta under “severe,” “extreme,” and “exceptional” drought conditions. But, as the Government of Alberta’s Agricultural Moisture Situation Update of June 6 points out, “given recent moisture across the province, and the current trends of near to above normal rainfall patterns, 2024 so far is bringing hope and optimism to our farming communities. With June being the wettest month of the year, this further fuels the hope that we will put the drought of 2023 squarely in the rear-view mirror. All we need now is warmer temperatures, and further timely rains.”
Calgary’s long-term water efficiency plan
The City has a plan in place to reduce average per-person water use by one litre a day by 2033 (down to 350 litres from 351 litres). An extensive metering network installed in 2014 allows the City to directly track water use and target areas of weakness. So far, we are on track to reach the targets, with water use during heat waves being a main source of overuse numbers.
Lane’s Insurance covers Alberta
When the world seems to be overly confusing, Lane’s Insurance is here to help you sort through the noise and get to what’s important. We are a leading provider of residential and business insurance in Alberta, and it is our job to stay informed about anything that may affect your home, property, and livelihood.
Working with a trustworthy insurance broker will keep your costs to a minimum without affecting the quality of your coverage. We work for you, not the insurance companies, and so are able to provide a number of different options from a number of different providers. All of that leads to excellent coverage at great prices. Contact us at our Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Alberta offices to see how we can help you save today.
