Calgary's Water Report Card: Diving Into the Data Behind Our Taps and Bills
People are talking about how Calgary's watershed monitoring results are now easier to explore. You can dive into specific sites and parameters, with a focus on those intriguing red values below the reporting limit.
In a city defined by its rivers, the health of Calgary’s water has never been more scrutinized. The City of Calgary continues to diligently operate its "Watershed Monitoring Program," a crucial initiative designed to keep a watchful eye on surface water quality across an extensive network of sites, encompassing our iconic rivers, vital tributaries, and essential reservoirs. This isn't just internal data; the results are openly shared, forming a bedrock of transparency for Calgarians who—now more than ever—are deeply concerned about the clarity and reliability of their Bow and Elbow.
These comprehensive results remain readily accessible on the Calgary Open Data Portal, a digital hub boasting over 400 categorized datasets free for public use. The portal presents the Watershed Monitoring Program results dynamically, allowing users to track data over time—a feature that saw increased traffic following the infrastructure challenges of the last 18 months. Civic-minded residents can filter information by specific 'site' or 'parameter,' enabling a granular look at water quality indicators. A visual cue for users is the representation of values below the reporting limit (< RL) in red, highlighting instances where substances are detected at very low concentrations. This meticulous monitoring relies on grab sampling methodologies and the City's analytical laboratory, which maintains accreditation to the stringent ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
The work of the Watershed Monitoring Program is rooted in a robust framework of civic and provincial policies, but the landscape of these regulations has shifted to match our new reality. Guiding these efforts is the City of Calgary's Water Utility Bylaw 40M2006, which was updated in March 2025 to include new, simplified outdoor water restrictions—a direct response to the drought conditions and supply shocks experienced in previous years. Alongside the Wastewater Bylaw 14M2012 and Stormwater Bylaw 37M2005, these regulations rigorously oversee compliance, particularly for industrial releases. Overarchingly, the provincial Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) and the City's 2020 Source Water Protection Policy continue to integrate watershed health into land use decisions, from the inner city to the sprawling new developments on the city's fringes.
However, maintaining this infrastructure and ensuring pristine water quality comes with a rising tangible cost. The 2025 budget confirmed a palpable increase in utility bills, driven largely by the urgent need to harden our water distribution network following the catastrophic Bearspaw South Feeder Main break in June 2024. For a typical single residential property consuming an average of 19 cubic metres of water monthly, the combined waste & recycling and water utility fees have risen by approximately $5.09 per month in 2025 compared to 2024 rates. This increase reflects the $473 million now earmarked specifically for water distribution and feeder main upgrades in the capital budget.
These financial commitments were a central point of contention leading up to the recent municipal election. During budget deliberations back in November 2024, then-Ward 1 Councillor Sonya Sharp voiced sharp concerns about the scale of borrowing required to fix the system. "The borrowing is not the issue, it's the how much and when," Sharp articulated at the time. While Sharp was unsuccessful in her mayoral bid this past October, her comments from the council floor continue to resonate as the new Council grapples with the tension between the desperate immediate need to prevent another crisis and the desire for paced fiscal management.
Ultimately, the transparency offered by the Open Data Portal regarding Calgary's Watershed Monitoring Program is more than just data; it is a vital tool for civic engagement in a post-crisis era. As the City prepares to receive the independent review panel’s report on the feeder main failure in early 2026, understanding the health of our water, the policies that protect it, and the heavy financial investments required to maintain it becomes increasingly crucial for every Calgarian navigating life along the Bow and Elbow.
