ATTENTION: Effective March 9, 2026 – Stage 4 Water Restriction

BILD Calgary Region Bulletin 2026 – 15

BILD Calgary Region advises members of the upcoming Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions, effective March 9, 2026, due to reinforcement work on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

The City of Calgary has provided the information below stemming from BILD’s inquiry to support industry in planning their site activities and operations.

Planned Duration of the Restrictions

Starting March 9, Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions will be in effect and indoor conservation will be needed for approximately four weeks. This timeframe reflects the anticipated duration required to complete the critical reinforcement work on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

This timeframe includes not only the reinforcement work, but also the necessary steps to safely return the pipe to service. These steps include refilling the pipe, conducting comprehensive water quality testing, and stabilizing the system by gradually turning on pipes at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant. As pressure in the feeder main increases and water flow is restored throughout the full system, all restrictions can be lifted.

Approach to Lifting Water Restrictions

Once the Bearspaw South Feeder Main is fully operational and the system has been stabilized, all water restrictions will be lifted at the same time. The City of Calgary does not intend to implement a phased transition between restriction stages (e.g., Stage 4 to Stage 3 to Stage 2 to Stage 1).

Understanding Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions

During Stage 4, most outdoor potable water use is banned, including the following:

• Outdoor water use for construction & renovation, including flushing mains
• Outdoor watering of new and established lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs, sod and grass seed
• Irrigation activities including system testing and auditing
• General outdoor cleaning & outdoor washing of sidewalks, walkways and driveways; building exteriors including windows; and vehicles, unless subject to health and safety regulations and in accordance with the Stormwater Bylaw 37M2005

Exemptions to the above restrictions on outdoor potable water use include:

• Businesses using water to deliver a life-sustaining product or service
• Businesses using water outdoors to meet health and safety regulations, including washing down sidewalks, walkways, driveways, exterior building surfaces or other outdoor surfaces to remove bodily fluids like urine, excrement and vomit (subject to the Stormwater Bylaw 37M2005) and washing required to meet Occupational Health and Safety legislation and regulations
• Watering plants for commercial sale or donation
• Watering of edible food crops is only allowed when using spring‑loaded nozzles with automatic shut off connected to a hose or hand‑held containers (otherwise not permitted).

Non-Potable Water Sources

Business operations using non-potable water sources are allowed to continue, for example, using stormwater for outdoor irrigation. The City of Calgary will not be providing temporary non-potable bulk water stations during the March restrictions.

Temporary Diversion Licences (TDLs): As the resource of water is managed by the province of Alberta, there is an opportunity for a business to apply for a TDL (temporary diversion licence) that would allow them to withdraw water from the river. Information on TDL’s can be found on the Government of Alberta website here: Temporary Diversion Licence | Alberta.ca

Storm Ponds Under Developer Control: Storm ponds still under Developer control can be used for pumping at the Developer’s discretion. Using non-potable water in parks accessible to the public requires signage stating it, as water from rivers and storm ponds can be contaminated. Signs were provided to Contractors by the Inspectors in 2024, and there are a handful available if needed, for both installation on site and being affixed to water trucks.

Potential Impacts on Operations

Newly Constructed Water Mains: Pressure testing newly constructed water mains is permitted; however, chlorination and flushing will not be permitted. This will not delay home building but will alter the sequencing of when a service connection is made. Once Stage 4 restrictions are lifted and direction has been provided by The City of Calgary, any impacted watermains are to be chlorinated, flushed and sampled as per City of Calgary specifications. Scheduling for flushing and sampling will need to be coordinated with the assigned area Utility Inspector to ensure their availability.

Lot Servicing: Installation of services may be completed without initial chlorination. Service pigtails will not be required to be brought to the surface. Services cannot be connected to a dwelling until the watermain has been chlorinated, flushed and sampled as per City of Calgary specifications. If you are working in a municipality on the Calgary regional water system, you must work with them directly to confirm their reservoirs, and system can manage the water draw. The City of Calgary will allow potable water to be used to keep positive pressure on watermains during tapping of new services as per City of Calgary Standard Specifications Waterworks Construction.

Sewer CCTV Video Survey: The City of Calgary will not permit the use of potable water from the system for flushing of sewer mains or maintaining a baseflow for CCTV video processing.

Remainder of 2026

The City of Calgary anticipates restrictions will be needed again in the fall when they tie in the new parallel pipe. Outside of the reinforcement work planned, other scenarios outside of The City’s control, including another break in the feeder main or weather-related conditions such as drought or heat waves, may necessitate outdoor water restrictions and/or indoor water conservation as well. However, the City of Calgary is not planning any additional water restrictions this summer that would impact the construction and building industry. You can stay up to date on the conditions being monitored at calgary.ca/drought.

Further updates related to the repair and restrictions can be found at: calgary.ca/bearspawfeedermain or calgary.ca/savewater

Should you require any further information or clarification, please contact: H2OCLiaison@calgary.ca

The City of Calgary correspondence can be found HERE.