Airdrie city council has approved amendments to the municipal waterworks bylaw that revise the watering schedule, add new exemptions, and align the city’s rules with Calgary’s.
Bylaw B-19/2025 received all three readings and was approved unanimously at the June 3 meeting. The amendments mark the third update to the waterworks bylaw in just over a year and reflect lessons from last summer’s Level 4 water restrictions. The bylaw was endorsed by council’s Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Committee on May 13.
The revised rules extend watering hours, expand exemption categories, and replace the Water Conservation Use Schedule—referred to as Schedule E—with a version modelled after Calgary’s.
"To ensure the alignment we have with Calgary remains consistent."
Eugene Lund, the city’s manager of utility operations, told council the changes respond to both intermunicipal updates and resident feedback.
"As I’m sure many of you recall, we have made a couple of trips into council here over the last year on this bylaw," Lund said during his June 3 presentation.
He said earlier changes in May 2024 and January 2025 addressed the initial watering schedule and technical corrections.
"We felt it was pertinent to make some amendments to ensure the alignment that we have with Calgary remains consistent, and that’s why we’re back here today," he said.
Airdrie receives its potable water from Calgary, which sources its supply from the Bow and Elbow Rivers. Officials say regional consistency helps streamline communication and enforcement during shortages.
Watering window extended; new exemptions added
Residents are now permitted to water outdoors between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. year-round. The previous window had been limited to 6 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 10 p.m.
"We’ve maintained the watering schedule for even and odd addresses," Lund said. "But as you can see, we’ve changed those times… based on some feedback that we had received."
Watering is prohibited on Fridays to allow reservoirs to recover ahead of weekend demand.
The bylaw also introduces two new exemptions in Schedule E: one for watering trees and shrubs during a five-year establishment period, and one for watering edible food crops. Lund told council these additions were based on confusion and enforcement issues during 2024’s higher-stage restrictions, when rules for gardens were not clearly defined.
Water restrictions may be triggered by drought, infrastructure failure, or emergency events such as flooding. In more severe stages, Airdrie could face province-led coordination.
Washdown rules tied to health and safety
Sections 178.1 and 178.2 of the updated bylaw clarify when residents can wash exterior surfaces such as sidewalks or driveways during a declared water shortage. Washing is allowed only if bodily fluids are involved or the activity is required by occupational health and safety legislation.
"You’re talking about washing required by the occupational health and safety legislation," Councillor Darrell Belyk said. "The legislation also talks about hand washing. So maybe a suggestion would be: 'required by applicable occupational health and safety legislation,' just so you aren’t grouped with hand washing and other related washing issues."
"Yes, we can certainly make that amendment," Lund replied.
Mayor Peter Brown asked whether the rules would prohibit residential power-washing during restrictions.
"If I put gravel or dirt on my driveway," he said, "I can’t wash it off? I can only wash feces?"
Lund said such activities would be permitted under normal conditions, but not during Level 1 or higher restrictions unless they qualified under the listed exemptions.
No bylaw guarantee for non-potable commercial supply
Brown also asked whether the bylaw included any mechanism to provide non-potable water for businesses during major drought stages.
"There won’t be anything written in the bylaw that if we get to Level 3 restriction or 4 then—" he began.
"That’s not something that we had included previously," Lund said. "But… that’s something we could certainly consider again."
Deputy Mayor Candice Kolson followed up, asking, "Are you asking for it to be amended to include that?"
"Well, hopefully it’s an anomaly, right?" Brown said.
"I was going to say I don’t want it included, because I think we will do our best for everybody. I don’t want to overpromise and not be able to." Kolson agreed.
Brown added. "I’m not asking for that."
How permits work—and who enforces them
The bylaw gives the City authority to require those who violate water restrictions to report the contravention, submit a corrective plan, and reimburse the City for any costs incurred in mitigation.
Enforcement is handled on a complaint basis. Municipal Enforcement officers are issued a list of active Water Use Exception Permits when restrictions are in effect.
According to the City, permits are free and cover 21 days of watering for new sod, 45 days for seeded lawns, and allow year-round use for smart irrigation systems with weather sensors. Applicants must submit the make and model of their system when applying.
According to the council report, administration consulted with Parks, Municipal Enforcement, and Operations while drafting the bylaw. Lund told council a communications package was ready to go, subject to approval.
"These updates continue to build on the foundation established in January 2025," council documents stated, "resulting in a more streamlined and user-friendly bylaw that better serves the community."
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