Repairs, flushing and water testing for Calgary’s damaged water main are on track to be completed by July 5, in time for the Calgary Stampede.
In the meantime, the city is supplying non-potable water to residents at six locations throughout the city.
Here is everything you need to know today as the city continues to deal with a water crisis:
What you need to know about Calgary’s water emergency
- A section of 16th Avenue has been reopened as a fix in time for Stampede remains “well in hand.”
- Calgary’s water main could be fixed by July 5.
- The city has opened six sites where construction companies and residents can gather free, non-potable water from the Bow River.
- Councillors are raising questions about the cost of the ongoing water crisis.
- The city issued a local state of emergency at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 15.
- The city identified five additional issues with the pipe and says it will now take three to five weeks to repair everything.
- Stampede will go ahead.
- The city has fixed the initial break in the feeder main and is repairing hot spots.
- Calgary is operating under Stage 4 water restrictions, meaning all outdoor water use is banned.
- Commercial and industrial water users have also been asked to cut back, with Gondek asking businesses to consider allowing employees to work from home to “save them the time of having a shower in the morning.”
WATCH: City of Calgary morning update (June 25)
Completion of repairs to ruptured water main remain on schedule for Calgary Stampede
City officials remain optimistic a ruptured feeder main will be operational in time for the start of the Calgary Stampede, but cautioned it will be several days after repairs are completed before water is flowing through the line.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Michael Thompson, the city’s general manager of infrastructure services, repeated their previous forecasts that work should be completed by July 5 — one month after the line ruptured — but said contingencies remain in place until service is fully restored.
“Work is progressing but we’re not out of the woods yet as we enter this (next) phase,” Thompson said during Monday’s afternoon update. “We still have a lot of work to do and we’ll be updating with more information as we go forward.”
Once the last of the five identified hot spots is fixed, the site will need to be backfilled before the line is flushed and water returned to the system is tested, Thompson said.
“We need to ensure we take all the necessary steps to introduce water back into the pipe while we monitor closely for any additional issues,” he said.
WATCH – City of Calgary afternoon update – June 24th
Officials thanked Calgarians for water-saving efforts that allowed water to flow through the hydrants as needed.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said repairs are progressing on schedule, and contingency plans are in place in the event of delays.
The city’s 311 line has taken 8,781 calls related to the water event. Seventeen tickets have been issued for water misuse, and five tickets have been issued in relation to the fire ban, according to CEMA Chief Sue Henry.
WATCH – City of Calgary morning update – June 24th
Mayor Gondek shared that water use for Sunday was up to 467 million liters used in the city and surrounding communities. This is below the threshold that is asked for.
The repairs are currently on track and the timeline for flushing the pipe and testing the water is being evaluated. Even when the work is finished it will take several days to get the water pressure back in the pipes and to have AHS test the water to make sure it is safe for consumption.
“The timeline to repair the feeder main seems to be on track and we are still shooting for that July 5 completion date. Plans are laid out for repair work and they’re progressing the way we had anticipated.”
The city is supplying non-potable water to residents at six locations throughout the city including Ogden boat launch, Baker Park, Spy Hill Landfill, Genesis Centre, Ambrose University and Bishop O’Byrne High School. The six locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and people are asked to bring their own containers. Residents are limited to 100 liters per household.
Calgary reopens section of 16th Avenue as Stampede fix for water main ‘well in hand’
The City of Calgary is making progress on patching up a critical water main break and is set to reopen a section of 16th Avenue N.W. after completing work on the initial rupture.
Construction on the original feeder main site was completed earlier this week, allowing crews to repave the roadway between 16th Avenue between Home Road and 49th Street N.W., allowing it to reopen for the first time since the pipe burst on June 5. The roadway was reopened Monday morning.
Gondek calling for full examination of city’s underground water lines
Mayor Jyoti Gondek is calling for a citywide examination of Calgary’s below-ground water infrastructure, in the wake of the ruptured feeder main that has reduced the city’s water supply and led to outdoor watering restrictions and a fire ban for the last 16 days.
Gondek said she’ll be asking administration “what we need in the budget” at Tuesday’s city council meeting to ensure Calgary has the required technology and inspection methods to fully understand the current state of the city’s water distribution network.
“Like all of you, I want to be sure we have a clear line of sight on what our infrastructure looks like under the ground in Calgary,” Gondek said during her morning briefing Friday on the water crisis that began on June 5.
Car washes close at city’s request as businesses enter third week of restrictions
Chris Friesen wasn’t interested in shutting down his business for three or more weeks.
When he received a letter on Tuesday from the City of Calgary requesting he, a car wash owner, cease operations, he made a few calls. By Thursday, a truck full of water rolled into Mint Smartwash in southeast Calgary to supply it with potable water so Friesen wouldn’t run afoul of the city’s restrictions.
The car wash may be one of a select few in Calgary still operating after the city sent out a letter requesting owners to suspend operations until the Bearspaw South feeder main returns to service.
Contractors allowed to pull water from Bow River
The fast-flowing Bow River will be the construction industry’s source of water until Calgary finishes repairs to its damaged water main — a solution the city fast-tracked to relieve some pressure from its clean-water supply.
The city has opened two sites — the West Baker Park boat launch near Bowness and the Ogden boat launch — where contractors can gather free, non-potable water from the Bow River.
The move will allow construction to continue “while not putting any added stress on the city’s water supply,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said Thursday morning.