The average Airdrie resident uses 250 litres of water per day. That’s the equivalent of two full bathtubs of water per person - every day!
Save money and reduce water use on water bills using these water conservation tips.
The City of Airdrie is one of over 10 municipalities that rely on the Bow and Elbow rivers for their water supply. These rivers supply drinking water, provide habitats for plant and aquatic life and are also vital for agriculture, recreation, tourism and industry. With so much depending on these rivers, it is important that we manage our water consumption to ensure long-term sustainability for all water users.
Reasons to save water:
Save money - using less water will reduce your water bill, thereby reducing your sanitary charge and the other bill to heat your water.
In a growing community, if everyone uses less water, you can reduce the frequency for costly new or upgraded water and sewer facilities and/or infrastructure.
Using less water and energy will generate a smaller carbon footprint
Current water supply and future needs
Airdrie currently receives water through three feeder mains from The City of Calgary, which can supply water to a population of over 98,500 people, including all current business uses. However, to accommodate future growth and maintain an acceptable level of redundancy, a fourth feeder main will be required. Planning for this additional feeder main is already underway, with design and construction anticipated to take place in stages over the next three to six years, subject to the approval of Council.
Exploring alternative water sources
Some residents have asked about the possibility of Airdrie securing its own water source or exploring alternatives to relying on Calgary. Due to our topography and geography, the Bow River basin is the only feasible water source for Airdrie. Provincial regulations require water taken from one drainage basin to be returned to the same basin (the Bow River is in a distinct drainage basin). Using another source, like the Red Deer River (which is in another distinct drainage basin), would require expensive new infrastructure for both water and wastewater which would far exceed the cost of the infrastructure to get and return water to Calgary. Although existing Provincial water licenses may be transferred or reclassified, no new licenses are being issued for water withdrawals from these rivers. Local sources like Nose Creek and East Lake can't supply enough water for our city of over 80,000 people.
Airdrie has had a reliable water supply agreement with Calgary for over 45 years, with disruptions being very rare. Calgary provides high-quality potable water which originates from the Bow and Elbow Rivers. Airdrie has invested tens of millions of dollars in water and sewer infrastructure connected to Calgary. Building new infrastructure for a different source would likely cost well in excess of $100 million. Funding new infrastructure would mean higher utility rates or taxes, impacting all residents and businesses. Considering the rarity of supply disruptions, the cost of new infrastructure is not be justified. Our primary focus remains on optimizing our existing infrastructure and planning for future expansions in collaboration with The City of Calgary.
Regulatory compliance and maintenance
To maintain the quality and safety of our water supply, the City of Airdrie conducts regular maintenance and compliance checks as part of our annual operations program. This includes water main replacements and repairs based on annual assessments and prioritization of needs.
Emergency preparedness
In the event of major water main breaks, Airdrie has contingency plans in place to ensure a continued water supply. Our water reserves are managed to provide temporary relief and maintain essential services while repairs are conducted.
How the City conserves water
In our continuous effort to conserve water and protect our environment, the City of Airdrie has implemented several initiatives across various facilities. Here's a look at how we're making a difference:
Water Services:
Leak detection program where technicians use headphones and computers to clamp onto lines and detect leaks. If any suspicious sounds are heard, they close the curbstop or valves to investigate further.
Educating residents about the watering schedule. This is crucial in managing water consumption for long-term sustainability.
Genesis Place:
Shower efficiency: 60-second push-button showers to minimize water usage.
Leak repairs: Promptly fixing leaks in pipes to prevent water wastage.
Pool management: Optimizing pool filter backwash times to reduce water use.
Flow restrictors: Installed in showers to limit water flow.
Dual flush toilets
Efficient cleaning: Using pressure washers and auto scrubbers over traditional hoses for cleaning, alongside hose nozzles with auto shutoff to reduce water flow.
Airdrie Fire Department:
Training efficiency: Adapting training protocols to minimize water use, saving thousands of litres per minute.
Draft commander trailer: Facilitates pump testing and training while recirculating water, conserving up to 600,000 litres for pump testing and an additional 10 million litres annually for ongoing training.
Ron Ebbesen and Genesis Place:
Timed showers: Showers have automatic shut off, preventing unnecessary water use.
Ice resurfacing: equipped with water regulators to ensure minimal water use while maintaining quality ice surfaces.
Future plans: The upcoming renovation of Ron Ebbesen Arena will introduce an adiabatic cooling tower, significantly reducing water usage by operating primarily on air.
Parks and public facilities:
Efficient fixtures: Installing low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets across Chinook Winds Splash Park, Nose Creek Bathrooms and city fire halls to significantly reduce water consumption.
Gradually replacing toilets with 1.28 gallons per flush models and updating shower heads to 1.75 GPM models for water efficiency at City Hall.
Water conservation outside the home
Watering according to the City of Airdrie's watering schedule is a great start to conserving water usage in the yard. Here are a few more ways to efficiently use and reuse water outside.
Watering
Ensure your downspouts drain into an area where water can be absorbed (like a nearby lawn, tree or flower bed).
Water only when you need to. An established lawn only requires 25mm (about 1 inch) of water per week.
Tip: Place a Frisbee upside down on the lawn in the area you are watering, once it’s full, turn off the sprinkler.
Don’t water after 9 a.m. or before 7 p.m. Watering during the hottest part of the day can cause up to 30 per cent evaporation.
Water only when needed. Saturate root zones and let the soil dry. Watering too much and too frequently results in shallow roots, weed growth, disease and fungus.
Avoid watering on windy days.
Use a garden-hose nozzle with an automatic shut off to save water.
Water plant roots directly with drip or soaker hoses buried in mulch. Using a soil moisture sensor can help you monitor water use and ensure you only use what you need.
Water timers (available at any garden centre) can be set before you leave the house in the morning - you won’t forget to turn off the water and the water won’t evaporate in heat of the day.
Set your sprinklers to water plants and shrubs, not your driveway, sidewalk, or buildings.
Lawn
Leave grass 3 inches long to prevent scorching and water evaporation.
Grass-cycle. Mulch the grass and leave your clippings on the lawn, this provides extra nutrients and helps to retain moisture.
Aerate your lawn. A well aerated lawn can absorb rain but a compacted lawn acts as a “hard surface” allowing little absorption.
Add compost to the lawn to help retain moisture.
Garden
Practice xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is landscaping or gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for extra watering.
Consider replacing your lawn with drought-tolerant and locally adapted plants, shrubs, and trees.
Use a rain barrel (or multiple). An average roof in Airdrie collects approximately 24,000 litres of rain annually - this could fill a rain barrel 96 times!
Test your soil type. Type of soil determines how quickly water is absorbed. Watering more than soil can absorb causes runoff and waste.
Water efficiency inside the home
Reducing the amount of water your family uses is as easy as becoming aware of how you use water, changing your water use habits and ensuring leaks are repaired.
Reduce: Become conscious of the amount of water you’re using and look for ways to use less.
Retrofit: Replace water-guzzling toilets and appliances with more water efficient, low flow models or retrofit existing appliances with water saving devices.
Repair: Stop the leaks! In one year, a leak of one drip per second wastes 10,000 litres of water – enough to fill more that 60 bath tubs. Most leaks are easy to fix by simply changing a worn washer.
THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE TO WATER EFFICIENCY offers information on how you can use water more wisely, tips to improve water efficiency inside and outside the home, and step-by-step advice on how to test for and repair leaks, make the most efficient use of water on a daily basis, and plan landscape projects with water efficiency in mind.
Kitchen:
When cleaning fruits/ veggies or dishes, don’t run the water continually. Put the stopper in the sink and let the sink fill up a bit.
Wait until the dishwasher is full before you run it.
Use the dishwasher instead of handwashing a couple dishes at a time.
To help reduce water use while rinsing your recyclables, consider the following:
Recyclables need to free of debris and do not have to be pristine
Soak recyclables with dishes to prevent material from hardening and becoming difficult to remove from the container
Save and use pasta water, other cooking water or dirty dish water to rinse containers
Place hard to clean recyclables (e.g. peanut butter container) in the dishwasher
Use leftover water from washed vegetables, boiled eggs or tea kettles to water your house plants.
Defrost food in the fridge instead of in water.
Scrape dishes into your organics kitchen caddy instead of rinsing them before loading the dishwasher.
Use your organics cart to dispose of tissues, not the toilet.
Bathroom:
Put a jug filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce water waste.
Turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth.
Take short showers and turn the water off while you’re shampooing your hair or scrubbing your body.
Put a bucket in the shower to catch water, use it to water plants.
Laundry:
Wash full loads of laundry on the shortest setting.
Hang up and re-wear clothes that are still clean.
If your machine has a suds-saver feature, use it (this reuses clean rinse water for washing the next load).
Checking your whole house for leaks can be as simple as locating your water meter and turning off all fixtures and appliances (don't forget the fridge ice maker). If the dial, sometimes called a low flow indicator, is still moving you either have a leak or something is still turned on.
If you've determined it's a leak, you can:
try the leaky toilet test (described below)
check all fixtures and appliances
if none of the above are leaking and the dial is still spinning, you can call Water Services 403.948.8871 to request someone to listen for leaks