Calgary water restriction impacting students and families
By Tiffanie Nguyen, March 25 2026—
On March 9, 2026 the City of Calgary began its stage 4 water restriction for Bearspaw South Feeder Main. Residents, businesses and schools, such as the University of Calgary, are advised to limit water usage in order to conserve the city’s water supply. Furthermore, this affects vulnerable families and students who are directly impacted by the city water restriction.
Despite Calgary’s long history of Bearspaw pipeline failures, on Dec. 30, 2025, its pipeline broke again resulting in a flood underneath the 16th avenue nearby Sacree Trail. The water from the pipeline is from Glenmore Water Treatment Plant which supplies 60 per cent of Calgary drinking water.
Calgarians and people living in Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore and Tsuutina Nation are under stage 4 water restrictions along with a temporary boil water advisory. Stage 4 restrictions prevent residents and business owners from outdoor water usage to conserve 25 litres of water per person each day.
Using more than 500 million litres of water can put Calgary in the red zone. The red zone indicates a risk of insufficient water to fight fires, low water pressure and boil water advisory, and water treatment plant failure.
Residents, business owners, athletes, students and Indigenous communities rely on the drinking water and outdoor usage of water. Restricting their water usage can negatively impact their day to day life. For instance, hockey athletes use water for outdoor purposes on their ice rinks and landscaping businesses rely on water as well. The implementation of stage 4 water restrictions can negatively affect those who rely on it.
The Tsuu’tina Nationare also advised to limit their water intake and are subject to stage 4 water restriction. In 2019, 60 per cent of residents were concerned with the water quality in wells. Subsequently, in June 2025, Tsuu’tina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild, attended the G7 summit meeting to address and advocate accessible clean drinking water for Indigenous communities. A temporary boil advisory and restricting water usage to a community that relies on clean drinking water can inflict the community health safety risks.
Ancillary Service at the University of Calgary, Shane Royal, shared his insight on how campus residence service is maintaining the restriction in an interview with the Gauntlet. The university has advised and notified students living in residence to limit their water intake and practice their water intake.
“Roughly 3,000 students live with us and we really just kind of recommunicate what the city articulates. So we reinforce limiting showers, flushing the toilet and when you’re running laundry to do full loads. It’s really just amplifying the city requirements,” said Royal.
The city water restriction measurements are shared among residence students and are encouraged in a unique way.
“The building that uses or has the largest reduction of water compared to this time last year, for the month of March, they’ll win a pizza party for the building. We try to encourage and bring some awareness and maybe make them care a little bit more,” said Royal.
Staff on residence, such as maintenance workers, are informed and advised on the water restrictions. Likewise, the restriction has not interfered with the staff’s work.
“It doesn’t really impact them at all… there’s not many activities that would do that are kind of water intensive,” said Royal. “The one change in some of our cleaning processes, that we will adjust, instead of using some equipment that’s water intensive, we would do a different processes that more sensitive.”
Although 60 per cent of Calgary drinking water is from Glenmore Water Treatment Plants, there has been no issues from its restrictions to the university since March 9th, 2026. Additionally, stage 4 water restrictions have not affected the university as well. Water on campus has been accessible to staff and students on campus.