Since a major water main burst in northwest Calgary last week and Calgary residents were urged to use as little water as possible, homeless shelters and hotels in the city have also been making great efforts to conserve water.
With repairs expected to continue into next week, shelters are asking Calgary residents for help in dealing with the strain on their resources.
At the Calgary Drop-In Centre, water conservation efforts begin in the kitchen, where 2,000 meals are prepared daily for homeless Calgary residents.
“We were able to pivot our meal plans pretty quickly and moved to using disposable cups, plates and things like that, just to make sure we weren’t using as much water as it would take to clean and maintain those items,” says Patrick Newman, director of the organization’s free items program.
This means you should avoid meals that use a lot of water – like soup, rice or pasta – and instead switch to dishes that can be baked or fried, for example.
While that may not sound like much, Newman estimates that these changes will save the shelter thousands of gallons of water per meal.
A similar situation prevails at Alpha House, where over 200 people come through the shelter’s doors every day.
Although they use water when needed for health and safety reasons, general manager Kathy Christiansen said they have asked customers not to shower as often and to postpone laundry until water supply concerns subside.
“Crises are part of our role in the community,” Christiansen said.
Both the Drop-In Centre and Alpha House are using donated water bottles and supplies they have set aside for the relief effort, but with repairs taking longer than expected, the costs are adding up.
“For us, it wasn’t the most cost-effective solution. We know we have to be part of the solution, but we had to buy more water containers and buying disposable dishes and cutlery is definitely not a cost-effective solution.”
Both organizations say they rely on donations to maintain their supplies – from water bottles and disposable tableware to cash.
Thousands of visitors receive tips on saving water
While at least 5,000 visitors are in Calgary for the Global Energy Show, hotels are also doing their part to save water.
Sol Zia, executive director of the Calgary Hotel Association, said hotels are exempt from any indoor restrictions, but many are taking voluntary measures.
“Almost every hotel in the city gives its guests tips on how to save water, and some hotels do much more than just talk to their guests,” Zia said.
These tips vary by hotel, but may include measures such as taking shorter showers and reusing towels and linens.
Other hotels have closed hot tubs and steam rooms and lowered pool temperatures to reduce water evaporation, he said. Some have temporarily switched to compostable tableware, and others are doing away with tablecloths at banquets.
“These little things have a significant impact because when you consider that hundreds of tablecloths have to be washed, it has an impact on water consumption. So these little things that hotels and banquet halls are doing across the city are significant,” Zia said.
The annual Global Energy Show, which brings over 30,000 energy industry stakeholders and experts to the newly opened and expanded BMO Centre, runs through Thursday evening.
The city government continues to urge citizens to limit their water consumption to reduce the risk of a city-wide water shortage.
