Concerns about the long-term sustainability of our water resources are increasing as the scarcity, allocation, and quality of water become more important to our communities.
Why conserve water?
We are fortunate to have access to some of the best drinking water in North America, as well as a first-class water treatment and delivery system; however, we're also very large consumers of water. Over the past decade, the amount of water Calgarians use per person has remained higher than many other North American and European cities.
As our city grows, so does our demand for water. Calgary's population has increased steadily in the past 25 years with unprecedented growth over the past decade. The message is clear: it's becoming increasingly obvious that our city's current water use is not sustainable. The environmental health of our water resources is under pressure, our water supply is limited, and our demand is increasing.
By conserving water, we can do the following:
- Reduce the environmental impact on the Bow and Elbow Rivers
- Reduce energy and chemical costs resulting from the water treatment process
- Reduce carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the water treatment process
- Reduce the need for new water infrastructure as the demands on our systems are lessened
Managing Calgary's water resources
Calgary has a number of significant challenges in managing its fresh water resources, including:
- A limited supply of fresh water in the Bow and Elbow watersheds
- Growing demand for water from rapid population and economic growth
- Increased demand from municipal, recreational, industrial, and agricultural users - upstream and downstream
- A gradual decline in water quality from our watersheds
- Climate change, which could negatively impact water supplies in our region over the long term
To learn more, see the case for water demand management.
Managing Calgary's water supply
Servicing the needs of Calgary's population requires The City to make the most of its current water and wastewater infrastructure and focus on sustainable resource planning and policy development.
The City manages all aspects of the water treatment and distribution process. It strives to be an industry leader in water quality, distribution, resource management, customer service and education. In keeping with these goals, the utility has chosen to create a comprehensive Water Management Strategy. A key component of this strategy is the 
Water Efficiency Plan; it’s a plan to help guide The City’s water conservation efforts and a plan we all play a role in.
Local success story: Calgarian cuts her water use in half
Calgarian Barb Ellis has cut her water use of 20 to 26 cubic metres (a cubic metre is 1,000 litres) per month, to nine cubic metres. That's more than 50 per cent.
How did she do it?
Learning how to read her water bill served as a key motivator for Barb as she admitted herself, "I was a big water waster."
Conserving water the easy way
Barb took a variety of actions to conserve water in her home. She purchased two low-flow toilets (which accounted for about 30 per cent of her water use), decreased her water softener cycles, ran less frequent washing loads and turned off the tap when she wasn't actively using the water coming from it.
Like all good converts, Barb spread the word. She influenced her neighbour to change from flat rate to metered billing. By installing a meter, it is possible to track water use over time, to catch leaks and to understand changes in water use.
Save water, save money
"Just being aware that water is valuable and that it shouldn’t be wasted helps me conserve water throughout my daily routine," adds Ellis. Barb has also planned future conservation efforts like investing in a front-loading washer. (Maybe that's where she's putting the $23 a month she now saves on her utility bill.)
