Yes – The City has recently launched email and text notifications. You can sign up for these via your myID Account. (Highlighted text will link to the City Services Notifications page.) These notifications are like those for street sweeping and snow route bans.

Things to note:

• Currently, notifications are possible on a community basis. This means if you live in Altadore, you will receive notifications for all water outages in Altadore. The address of the outage will be included in your text and/or email.

Over 2026 improvements are being made to our system which will help pinpoint outages specifically affecting your property. We appreciate your patience while these upgrades are made.

• You will continue to receive updates until water service is restored. This means as the repair moves from investigation to active repairs to water being restored, you will receive an email and/or text.
• Texts and emails are automatic responses. Please do not reply to these messages as they are not monitored. For more information, please refer to this webpage or call 311.

Food Service Establishments, Care Providers and Personal Service facilities should contact Environmental Public Health at 1-833-476-4743 for direction.

No. Please continue to use the water from a water wagon until the outage is listed as “Water restored”. To ensure the quality of your water it is also important to follow these steps once repairs are complete.

• Run your bathtub tap on cold for 10 minutes until water clears. Then run other cold water taps for five minutes or until clear.
• Wash tap aerators or screens in hot, soapy water, and disinfect them for 10 minutes in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Disinfect water filters to manufacturer's recommendations. 

When a service line break is located on city property, we may be able to provide water service from one house to another via a temporary line.

Temporary lines are possible when:

• The property next door is not affected by the outage and the owner agrees to a temporary line.
• It is possible to connect both homes to the temporary line via the outside house bib.
• During colder weather, the property owner on the receiving end is willing to run a tap in their home 24/7 to ensure the line does not freeze.
• The property owner on the receiving end accepts all risk associated with a temporary service.

Temporary lines are not provided when a service line break is located on private property. In these cases, the property owner is responsible for providing a temporary water supply.

For shorter outages, and to support you while water wagons or temporary supplies are set up, we recommend keeping a small emergency supply of water on hand. You can continue to use the toilet during interruptions by pouring stored water into your toilet bowl to empty its contents.

Learn more about preparing your 72-hour emergency preparedness kit.

To ensure homeowners and their families can shower during a water outage, recreation passes are available for City of Calgary recreation facilities.

Passes are found on the door hanger left by our crews. Simply take the door hanger with you when visiting a City facility.

We can assure you that work is underway. 

• Crews may be working with a leak locator to determine the location of underground break(s).
• Depending on the size of the break there may be multiple repair locations involved. Crews are likely working on another street nearby or in a back alley.
• The equipment and vehicles you see are on stand-by and waiting to be called into action. This ensures our crews aren’t waiting for repair materials, dump trucks or backhoes to arrive, which can reduce repair times.

1. A crew is dispatched to determine the location, impact and severity of the break
2. Crews reduce and shutoff water flow by closing nearby water valves
3. Crews identify alternative sources for temporary customer water
4. Crews excavate and repair the watermain
5. Service is restored after the pipe is flushed and water quality is tested
6. The road, lane, sidewalk or lawn is repaired. This may take time depending on the season, weather, difficulty of the location and size of the break. If there are damages from the water main repair, we will arrange for rehabilitation or repair. Learn more at Water Service Construction Property Rehab.

The longer the temperature stays below freezing, the deeper the frost goes, putting pressure on water main and service pipes.

Winter frost depths in Calgary typically range from two to three metres. Frozen ground increases the amount of time required to access the water pipes, resulting in a longer time frame to restore water. Pipes are buried around three to four metres deep.

No, water main breaks happen. We maintain nearly 15,000 kilometres of underground water infrastructure as part of our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems and have one of the lowest number of average breaks per 100 kilometres when compared to other major Canadian cities.

To ensure the health and safety of our crews and to prevent property damage The City of Calgary shuts off a water main prior to beginning repairs. This gives us time to properly investigate a break, determine the best method of repair and, whenever possible, allows our crews to work during daylight hours. This is especially important during the winter, which is when we see the most water main breaks.

Some municipalities attempt repairs without turning the pipe off, which may result in quicker repair times.

If after investigating a water outage we determine that the break is on private property it is the property owner’s responsibility to make repairs.

The City is responsible for the water service line that extends from the water main up to the homeowner's property line. All pipes, solder and fittings on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The figure below demonstrates the delineation between the public and private side.

In these cases, tenants should contact their landlord for updates on repairs including timelines and alternative water sources. If you are having an issue with your landlord, please contact the Consumer Contact Centre.

Crews will return to the site over the next several weeks to apply a temporary asphalt patch.

A final concrete repair will be added to The City’s road repair schedule - exact dates of repair cannot be provided at this time. To ensure the base layer is properly compacted, we schedule the sidewalk for concrete replacement following a full freeze-thaw cycle, typically two years after repair.

If lawn repairs are also required, they are typically performed between May and October.

Depending on the location, barricades may be in place to ensure the safety of citizens. Please do not move or remove them.

If the excavation site sinks or you have any other concerns, please call 311 and reference “sunken excavation.”

Once the water main repair is complete and Water Services has completed filling in the excavation, crews will work to pave the area with asphalt.

During the winter months, to ensure the road remains drivable, the excavation site is filled with available seasonal mix.  

Crews will return in the spring to pave this roadway when permanent repairs can be completed - exact dates cannot be provided at this time. If lawn repairs are also required, those will be done between May and October. 

Depending on the location, barricades may be in place to ensure the safety of citizens. Please do not move or remove them. 

If the excavation site sinks or you have any other concerns, please call 311 and reference “sunken excavation.”