Calgary loses quarter of its water to aging pipes, seeks $342M fix
City lost 23% of treated water to leaks last year. Council backing $342M investment to cut losses to 15% by 2030.
Calgary lost 23 per cent of its treated water to leaks last year—roughly 120 million litres daily, equivalent to 48 Olympic pools. It's a problem that's been building for years of underinvestment in water infrastructure.
City council approved a plan Tuesday to spend $342 million over four years to bring that loss down to 15 per cent by 2030. The budget represents roughly double what the city has been spending on leak reduction.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the investment pays for itself many times over. "Money spent here returns on a 5-to-1 or 10-to-1 basis," he said. "This is an absolute no-brainer."
The plan includes new water meters, expanded leak detection, and repairs and replacement of aging pipes. Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly called the 15 per cent target "a good start," but urged the city to accelerate even further. "Losing a quarter of our water is crazy," Kelly said.
Across Canada, municipalities lose about 17 per cent of water due to leaks. Edmonton loses closer to 5 per cent. Part of Calgary's challenge is its complex system and gravelly soil that makes leaks harder to detect.
The announcement comes more than a month after council approved a water efficiency plan with mandatory outdoor watering schedules, targeting a 20 per cent reduction in per-capita demand by 2040. It's the city doubling down on a crisis that's been quietly growing for a decade.