Summary#

Calgary City Council approved the Water Loss Update on June 30, 2026, as part of the consent agenda. The decision directs City staff to report to Council every year on the Accelerated Water Loss Reduction Program, starting in the second quarter of 2027. The program’s stated goal is to reduce estimated water loss to about 15% and reach an Infrastructure Leakage Index of 3.0 by 2030; the decision does not guarantee those results.

• City staff must report on progress, program spending, yearly targets and expected contributions from major investments, and lessons or changes to the program.
• The report says the program focuses on better measurement, finding and repairing leaks, and renewing and maintaining water infrastructure.
• The annual reports must include planned and actual spending by year across major activity areas.

What it means for you#

• Calgary water customers and taxpayers: This decision requires regular reporting and oversight. It does not directly change water rates, bills, water-use rules or service.
• City staff: They must report through the Infrastructure and Planning Committee in Q2 each year, starting in 2027.
• Home builders and developers: The decision creates no new requirements for their businesses. BILD Calgary Region supported the water-loss target, arguing that better system efficiency could help with infrastructure planning and the cost of growth.

Money#

This decision does not approve a dollar amount; City staff say about $340 million is proposed for water-loss reduction in the 2027–2030 budget cycle.

• City staff say that amount is nearly double the investment in 2023–2026. The proposal is not approved by this decision.
• The decision requires future reports to show planned and actual program spending. No cost estimate for preparing those reports is provided.

What is unclear#

• The decision does not specify how the yearly targets or estimates of each investment’s contribution will be set. City staff say confidence in those estimates should improve as they learn more about the system.
• The reported 2025 water-loss rate of 23% is an estimate based on measurements and assumptions, so how progress compares over time may depend partly on improved measurement.
• The decision does not itself approve the proposed 2027–2030 investment or require the program to meet its 2030 goal.

Case for#

• City staff say reducing water loss could make better use of existing infrastructure, help meet demand and defer costly infrastructure expansion.
• BILD Calgary Region supported the 15% target, saying improved efficiency could help time and size future infrastructure investment and support housing affordability.
• The Bearspaw South Feedermain Implementation Advisory Group supported the program’s goals, describing water-loss reduction as a way to manage demand alongside infrastructure renewal.

Case against#

• A possible concern is that the 2030 target depends on a water-loss estimate that City staff say is affected by measurement limits and assumptions.
• The decision requires reports, but it does not require the program to reach its target. Reporting progress may show a shortfall without ensuring it is corrected.
• The proposed $340 million investment is substantial, while the supplied materials do not give a detailed cost-benefit estimate for the program.