Calgary’s water system is aging, leaking, and too often managed with short-term political thinking instead of long-term planning. One in every five litres of treated water is lost to leaks, driving up costs for residents and making housing more expensive. The Calgary Party will create an independent, publicly-owned water utility—run by experts, accountable to regulators, and built to deliver reliable service, fair costs, and long-term planning that puts housing affordability and water security first.

• Put Housing at the Centre of Infrastructure Planning
  • Shift nearly half of current water infrastructure costs out of site levies, lowering the price of new homes.
  • Spread the cost of new pipes over decades through utility financing, reducing mortgage debt for first-time buyers.
• Run Water Like ENMAX—Efficient, Reliable, Accountable
  • Create an independent, publicly-owned utility governed by experts and regulated for performance and cost control.
  • Use proven models like ENMAX and Edmonton’s EPCOR to improve service reliability and reinvest in long-term maintenance.
• Fix Leaks and Prevent Breakdowns
  • Launch aggressive preventative maintenance and monitoring programs to stop failures before they happen.
  • Set measurable targets to reduce leakage from 22% to industry-leading levels, saving millions of litres annually.
• Transparency and Public Trust
  • Present multi-year capital plans and full cost breakdowns to the public and regulators—no hidden charges in property taxes.
  • Conduct full due diligence with financial and risk assessments before transitioning to the new utility model.

Read The Calgary Party's full Water Utility Toolkit here.