Water outages and main breaks

Not all water outages are planned. Water main breaks are unpredictable and can happen for a variety of reasons:

• The age, material, and condition of the pipes
• Condition of the soil
• Temperature of the ground and water
• Pressure changes

The most common solution is a water wagon - a portable tank of drinking water that provides emergency supply to you and your neighbours. It is placed in a central location to provide customer access to water during longer outages. 

We will provide a recreation pass, which will enable affected customers to access showers and amenities at a City-run recreation centre or leisure centre if we are unable to restore their water service within 24 hours.

If you cannot locate the water wagon or there is an issue with it, please complete the online service request below or contact 311.

For shorter outages, and to support you while water wagons or temporary supplies are set up, we recommend keeping a small emergency supply of water on hand. You can continue to use the toilet during interruptions by pouring stored water into your toilet bowl to empty its contents. 

Learn more about preparing your 72-hour emergency preparedness kit.

When deployed, the water wagon is placed in a central location. Water wagons are disinfected and water quality is sampled before each delivery.

The water spout is located on the side of the wagon facing the curb, below the list of instructions.

When taking water:

• Place container under spout - avoid touching container on the spout
• Depress lever to begin flow of water
• Release lever to stop water flow

When drawing water from the emergency water wagon, please use the following guidelines to ensure proper storage of your drinking water supply:

• Store your water in thoroughly washed containers that have a good seal. Plastic containers such as soft drink bottles work well.
• Never use a container that has held toxic substances.
• Store your water away from gasoline, kerosene, pesticides or similar substances.
• Ensure storage containers are firmly sealed when you’re not using your water.

If you cannot locate the water wagon or there is an issue with it, please complete the online service request below or contact 311.

We test for quality before water is restored.  To ensure the issue is resolved:

• Run your bathtub tap on cold for 10 minutes until water clears. Then run other cold water taps for five minutes or until clear.
• Wash tap aerators or screens in hot, soapy water, and disinfect them for 10 minutes in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Disinfect water filters to manufacturer's recommendations. 

If water does not clear after running the taps, please contact 311.

Once the water main repair is complete and Water Services has completed filling in the excavation, crews will work to pave the area with asphalt.

• Depending on the circumstances, a temporary repair to the road or sidewalk may need to be replaced in the spring and once the frost has thawed. 
• Please obey all traffic barriers and slow down when our crews are working.

No, water main breaks happen. We maintain nearly 15,000 kilometres of underground water infrastructure as part of our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems and have one of the lowest number of average breaks per 100 kilometres when compared to other major Canadian cities.

The longer the temperature stays below freezing, the deeper the frost goes, putting pressure on water main and service pipes. Winter frost depths in Calgary typically range from two to three metres. Frozen ground increases the amount of time required to access the water pipes, resulting in a longer time frame to restore water. Pipes are buried around three to four metres deep.

If after investigating a water outage we determine that the break is on private property it is the property owner’s responsibility to make repairs.

The City is responsible for the water service line that extends from the water main up to the homeowner's property line. All pipes, solder and fittings on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The figure below demonstrates the delineation between the public and private side.

In these cases, tenants should contact their landlord for updates on repairs including timelines and alternative water sources. If you are having an issue with your landlord, please contact the Consumer Contact Centre.

We can assure you that work is underway. 

• Crews may be working with a leak locator to determine the location of underground break(s).
• Depending on the size of the break there may be multiple repair locations involved. Crews are likely working on another street nearby or in a back alley.
• The equipment and vehicles you see are on stand-by and waiting to be called into action. This ensures our crews aren’t waiting for repair materials, dump trucks or backhoes to arrive, which can reduce repair times.

Please visit damage claims and witness statements for more information.