Here is everything you need to know today as the city continues to deal with a water crisis
Calgary is at the final step of stabilizing the feeder main that ruptured and threatened the city’s water supply, Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced yesterday, noting the stage is the riskiest since any error could lead to further delays.
“You’ll have an update tomorrow about whether we are ready to ease some of those restrictions or if more time is needed,” said the city’s general manager, Michael Thompson.
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
- Repair work on the feeder line and hot spots is completed and the city successfully flushed and tested the water over the weekend.
- Water usage dropped to 425 million litres on Sunday, a drastic fall from 500 million litres on Thursday.
- Traffic resumed on 16th Avenue N.W. Thursday after workers completed paving the site of water main repair.
- The city has opened seven 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.
- Stampede will go ahead.
- 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 10:30 a.m. update live
Mayor Jyoti Gondek and officials are expected to update Calgarians on the state of the water main crisis and a plan to ease restrictions at 10:30 a.m. You can watch it live here:
Stabilization work continues on feeder main as timeline for water restrictions expected tomorrow
The stabilization of the feeder main followed the successful flushing and testing of treated water over the weekend. The city is now trying to gradually reintroduce supply from the Bearspaw treatment plant into the pipe without straining it to the point of bursting, city officials said at a news conference yesterday.
As a result, the pipe is carrying water at approximately half of its capacity as the city continues to use acoustic and pressure sensors to monitor for anomalies. City officials will examine data from tonight and determine its next steps Tuesday.
The city’s general manager, Michael Thompson stressed that not all restrictions would be removed at the same time. “We will focus on easing indoor water-saving measures first,” he added. “After (that), we will need to let the system stabilize more before we announce any changes to our outdoor water restrictions.”
Calgarians offer water-saving tips as conservation continues
On Thursday, the city used 500 million litres, 7 million of which was used to fill the pipe. This puts usage above the threshold of 480 million litres per day.
The city is currently operating under stage four water restrictions. What that means is that all outdoor water use is banned.
Indoor water reduction is voluntary, but necessary for reservoirs to catch up with demand, according to city officials.
We asked our readers to share ways they are using less water and they delivered.
Choose meals that require little-to-no water to cook, or change cooking methods to accommodate lower water usage. Examples include using less water when boiling pasta or vegetables, or using a barbecue to cook vegetables, if possible.
Water can also be reduced in coffee by swapping to espresso, which requires less water.
Greg, a plumber, uses old whiskey bottles in toilet tanks to save water with each flush.
Some have turned to two-in-one shampoo and conditioners to avoid the need for a double rinse. Dry shampoo is a good option for those skipping hair washing completely.
General consensus is to keep showers under five minutes.
Ensure water is turned off between soaping and rinsing hands, and between brushing and rinsing teeth.
Businesses hit by water main work relieved as 16 Ave. reopens
“It’s been a journey, it’s been a struggle,” said Dilnaj Kullar, owner of the Bowness Bottle Depot.
He said the re-opening of a stretch of 16 Ave. in front of his business on Thursday morning brought an instant wave of business that had been choked off since the initial June 5 feeder main rupture up the street and magnified by the discovery of a series of vulnerable pipe spots, one of them almost directly in front of his shop.
“When they did open it, it was wonderful to see how many of our customers were here to support us – there must have been 15 cars,” said Kullar.
The road closure reduced his business by at least 60 per cent, he said, adding he’s asked city official for financial compensation.
“Give us a tax break or something, but they never brought it up,” said Kullar.
Your questions about Calgary’s catastrophic water main break
We are finding answers to as many of your questions as we can regarding the water main break and restrictions impacting our lives.
Q: How did these issues go unnoticed until now?
A: City officials say the pipe was approximately halfway through its 100-year life cycle, and there was no reasonable expectation for it to fail or to require multiple inspections to ensure quality. During an April inspection, officials noticed areas in need of repairs, not deemed urgent, and had planned to complete the repairs later in the year when water requirement is not as high.
Gondek has announced that a review of the water event will take place following repairs to determine cause and accountability, and prevent future similar issues.
Q: Who is the city holding accountable for this massive failure and what is being done about other infrastructure built at the same time using the same methods?
A: When asked about accountability during a news briefing, the mayor responded by saying, “I can appreciate that Calgarians want answers about what happened, how it happened and who’s accountable. I will tell you that we are getting that information together as quickly as we can. It will be made available publicly, we intend to be fully transparent on this and there will absolutely be debriefs on any of the learnings that come out through the next few days.”
The impending review will seek answers to questions about accountability.
Q: Will all restrictions end once water testing is complete?
A: The final stage of repairs, water testing, is expected to be complete on July 1. Initially, indoor restrictions will be lifted, said Gondek, but the outdoor ban will remain as the city gradually reintroduces full water service to residents to avoid overwhelming the pipes.