Chestermere residents face approximately four weeks of water restrictions beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4, as crews connect Calgary’s replacement Bearspaw South Feeder Main to the regional water system.
Stage 4 restrictions prohibit outdoor use of municipal drinking water, subject to limited exemptions. Residents are also being asked to reduce indoor consumption while the work limits the amount of water available across the region.
For households, that means keeping showers to three minutes or less, running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads, and flushing toilets only when necessary. These indoor measures are voluntary conservation requests.
Chestermere receives its treated water from Calgary and must follow Calgary’s restriction stages under its regional servicing agreement. The conservation appeal also extends to Strathmore, Airdrie and Tsuut’ina Nation.
The connection requires a temporary shutdown of the existing feeder main, reducing the system’s available distribution capacity to about 500 million litres daily.
Keeping demand below that level is intended to preserve water for essential needs, including firefighting.
During the shutdown, the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant is expected to provide roughly 80 per cent of Calgary and the region’s water. Bearspaw’s plant will supply the remaining 20 per cent through other available pipes.
Completing the connection will not immediately bring the replacement main into service.
Commissioning is scheduled for December and includes disinfecting the pipe, filling it with water and testing water quality before it begins operating. The new main is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
No restrictions related to this project are anticipated during commissioning, although other water system problems could require further conservation measures.
Residents should check their municipality’s guidance for outdoor exemptions and local requirements. The four-week restriction period is an estimate tied to completing the connection work, rather than a confirmed date for restrictions to be lifted.