City of Calgary updates Water bylaws!
Following feedback from industry and the public to the City of Calgary, Council today passed updates to the Water Utility Bylaw (40M2006), including most importantly updated to Outdoor Water Restrictions as we head into the 2025 season. These changes were defined as ‘housekeeping’ and are not a complete review of the bylaw which is planned in the coming year. While the changes passed on March 18th do not fully address industry concerns, they do indeed go along way to providing some stability in the coming year.
Highlights include:
- Allow watering for establishment for sod (21 days), seed (45 days), and new trees and shrubs (up to 5 years)
- No set watering schedule in 2025.
- Simplified watering time from 7pm to 10 am. (for setting irrigation systems)
- Allows water use for construction and renovation (through stage 3)
- Updates to how water managed sites are managed through various stages of water restrictions.
More details will be made available as they are published by City of Calgary. Landscape Alberta submitted a letter of support as part of this review process along with ongoing consultations with the City of Calgary. There is still more work to do in this area of course, but this is a great example of what your association can and will do for the collective benefit of industry.