Summary#

Council approved Calgary’s Water Efficiency Plan and passed Bylaw 16M2026, amending the Water Utility Bylaw (Bylaw 40M2006). The plan’s goal is to reduce water demand per person by 20% by 2040; that is a target, not a guaranteed result.

• The bylaw sets a year-round Outdoor Watering Schedule. Its specific days, times and exemptions are not included in the supplied materials.
• It updates water-efficiency rules for fixtures in new builds and renovations, including commercial pre-rinse spray valves.
• When the bylaw already allows water service to be shut off, the Water Services or Community Planning director may also order a customer or group to stop or restrict water use. Usually, voluntary compliance must first have been attempted and documented. Immediate action to protect the water system is an exception. Orders must give reasons and be publicly shared.
• The plan sets 11 actions for the City, residents and businesses, including reducing water loss, updating meters, and expanding efficiency programs and incentives.
• Council directed City staff to report annually, starting in Q1 2027, on stop-use orders. Council rejected a separate proposal for a Q1 2027 report evaluating the 2026 approach and comparing voluntary and mandatory measures.

What it means for you#

• Residents: The schedule changes when outdoor watering is allowed. The supplied materials do not give its exact rules or exemptions. The plan also sets a goal for lower water use, but does not by itself require every resident to meet a personal target.
• Customers who do not comply: In circumstances where the bylaw already allows water service to be shut off, a director may issue a stop-use order. The order must include documented reasons. Usually, voluntary compliance must first be tried and recorded.
• Builders, renovators and businesses: Fixture requirements change for new builds and renovations. The materials do not give the exact fixture standards.
• City staff: They must consider operating and capital investment needs when prioritizing the 2027–2030 budgets. They must also report annually on orders, including their number, duration, geographic scope, reasons and actions to restore normal service.
• Water rates: Council did not approve a 2026 rate change through this decision.

Money#

The decision identifies possible future spending, but the supplied materials give no total cost estimate.

• Some plan actions have prior funding; others may be brought forward in the 2027–2030 budget process. Council directed staff to consider the needed investment, but did not approve a specific amount here.
• Staff planned to present options for conservation-oriented rates to Council in Q4 2026. No future rate change was approved.
• No publicly available information on the total cost is included in the supplied materials.

What is unclear#

• The exact watering days, hours, exemptions and fixture standards are not provided.
• The materials do not say how stop-use orders will be reviewed or challenged, or give a timeline for responding to one.
• The plan has 11 actions, but the supplied material does not set out their full costs, schedules or detailed measures of success.
• Council rejected a proposed report evaluating the 2026 approach and comparing voluntary with mandatory measures. The adopted annual report covers orders, not the overall effectiveness of the plan.

Case for#

• City staff say Calgary faces limited water supplies, growth, aging infrastructure and climate pressures. Reducing demand could help manage peak use and support reliable service.
• The plan combines customer-facing measures with City actions such as reducing water loss and updating meters, rather than relying only on household conservation.
• The approved order rules require documented reasons and, in most cases, documented attempts at voluntary compliance first.
• The engagement summary reports broad support for water efficiency and interest in practical education and incentives.

Case against#

• Engagement participants raised concerns that fixed watering times could conflict with shift work, accessibility needs, tree care and food gardens, and that restrictions could be unfair or confusing.
• BILD supported water security goals but argued that further household fixture improvements may have diminishing returns, while system water loss needs priority. That is BILD’s position, not a finding established by the decision.
• The new order power can require customers to restrict water use, but the supplied materials do not describe an appeal process or other review safeguards.
• Council did not require a report assessing whether the 2026 approach worked, leaving less information on its effectiveness than the rejected proposal would have sought.