Calgary is moving forward with a year-long outdoor watering schedule after council voted to adopt it on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The decision is part of the city\u2019s new water efficiency plan, which introduces a structured timetable for when properties can water lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs. <\/p>\n
Under the schedule, odd\u2011numbered addresses may water from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, while even\u2011numbered properties may do so during the same hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Exceptions will allow watering of edible crops and newly planted trees, shrubs, or grass at any time.<\/p>\n
Not everyone on council supported embedding the schedule into the city\u2019s water utility bylaw. Mayor Jeromy Farkas argued the measure is unnecessary outside drought conditions, saying the city should first ensure its own systems are as efficient as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to show them that we\u2019ve done absolutely everything that we can to address our own internal systems,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Coun. Mike Jamieson echoed concerns about mandatory rules, suggesting residents would voluntarily conserve water if given the chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople want voluntary basis and I feel that a lot of people will come alongside and help the cause if they\u2019re given the chance to do the right thing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The watering schedule is one of 11 action items aimed at reducing Calgary\u2019s per\u2011capita water demand by 20 per cent by 2040. Other measures include accelerating the city\u2019s water\u2011loss program, exploring conservation\u2011focused rate structures, and expanding public education on water use.<\/p>\n
Coun. Andre Chabot said the plan is designed to reduce both costs and peak summer demand, which remains a pressure point for the city\u2019s water system.<\/p>\n
Experts note that Calgary\u2019s climate makes conservation especially important. Kerry Black, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Calgary\u2019s Schulich School of Engineering, compared reservoirs to \u201cbig bathtubs\u201d that don\u2019t refill quickly during dry summer months, particularly in southern Alberta\u2019s low\u2011precipitation environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a city like Calgary, in southern Alberta, it\u2019s not getting a whole lot of precipitation,\u201d she says. \u201cSo we are really relying on what we\u2019ve been able to manage up until that point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similar watering schedules already exist in nearby municipalities such as Okotoks and Airdrie. <\/p>\n
Under Calgary\u2019s amended bylaw, violating the new schedule could result in a $200 fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Calgary is moving forward with a year-long outdoor watering schedule after council voted to adopt it on Tuesday.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":635420,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194293],"tags":[49,2798,48],"class_list":["post-635419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-calgary","tag-ca","tag-calgary","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/635420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}