With repairs now complete, flushing and water testing for Calgary’s damaged water main are on track to be completed ahead of July 5, in time for the Calgary Stampede.
In the meantime, the city is supplying non-potable water to residents at seven 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
- Calgary used 476 million liters of water on Monday, getting dangerously close to the threshold.
- Filling and flushing the feeder main is set to begin Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
- 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.
- The city identified five additional issues with the pipe which have been repaired as of Tuesday, June 25.
- 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: City of Calgary morning update – June 26th
Mayor hints at faster fix of ruptured feeder main, but ‘concerned’ as water use continues to climb
The five “hot spots” in the ruptured water feeder main have been fixed, city officials announced Tuesday, as Calgary heads into the critical stage of filling the pipe with treated water and ensuring it is safe to drink.
“To be clear, the repair work is done,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said in a news conference — however, Calgary is still not in the clear.
While the city overcomes a major hurdle by mending the damage to its main pipe that carries drinking water to the rest of the city, the challenge it now faces is to bring the feeder main back into use through four stages: filling, flushing, testing and stabilizing.
Using a hockey reference, Gondek said: “We need to play the full 60 minutes, and right now we’re in the last five minutes of Game 7.”
WATCH: City of Calgary afternoon update – June 25th
As of Tuesday, repair work on all damaged portions of the pipe is complete. Crews have begun the process of backfilling work areas and will soon transition to site cleanup. Officials expect backfilling to be completed by Wednesday.
City officials will work with AHS on a four step process which includes filling the feeder main, flushing the water, testing the water and stabilizing the system. Filling the feeder main may begin Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
Francois Bouchart, City of Calgary director of capital priorities and investment, warns that the increased pressure from filling the water main could cause complications and additional breaks. To mitigate this risk, officials will fill the feeder main slowly, and use acoustic monitors and sensors to detect pressure spikes.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek will continue twice daily updates until full water service returns, which may be sooner than the estimated July 5 date.
While outdoor water restrictions remain in place, the city is supplying non-potable water to residents at seven locations throughout the city including Ogden boat launch, Baker Park, Spy Hill Landfill, Genesis Centre, Ambrose University, Bishop O’Byrne High School and Bankside Day Use area in Fish Creek Park. The Bankside location opens Wednesday morning.
The residential-use locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and people are asked to bring their own containers. Residents are limited to 100 liters per household.
Commercial-use locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The city’s 311 line has taken 9,435 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 25th
Welding has been completed at the sites of the hot spots and repair work on the main feeder is in the final stages, with backfilling starting today and continuing into tomorrow.
The timeline for full water services to be restored could have some positive news during the afternoon update, according to Gondek.
Calgary used 476 million liters of water on Monday, getting dangerously close to the threshold.
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.
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.