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Calgary’s Bearspaw water feeder main that ruptured beneath Montgomery earlier in June has been repaired, and crews are currently repairing five “hot spots.”
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
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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 serval 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., bring your own container and residents are limited to 100 liters per household.
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Calgary to reopen 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 will reopen ahead of the Monday morning commute.
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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.
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“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.
Read more here.
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.
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Driver Bill Atkinson, of Year Round Landscaping, waits for his water truck to be filled at Baker Park in northwest Calgary on Friday.
Contractors allowed to pull water from Bow River
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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.
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WATCH: City of Calgary afternoon update (June 21)
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Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek began Friday afternoon’s update by sharing water-use numbers.
Since the start of this water crisis on June 5, Calgary has saved nearly two billion litres of water. The city is on a six-day streak of keeping water use below the threshold, though there has been an uptick of usage in recent days. On Thursday, the city and surrounding communities on the water system used 460 million litres of water.
CEMA chief Sue Henry said the state of local emergency, implemented last Saturday, has been renewed.
Henry also said there are now two boat launches where construction companies can draw water from the Bow River, one at West Baker Park and the other in Ogden.
Access to non-potable water is only for contractors with active development agreements and permits, commercial landscape companies, bulk water station users, those with hydrant connection unit agreements and contractors working for capital projects for the City of Calgary and regional customers. The water is not for the general public.
Henry emphasized that untreated river water is not safe for drinking.
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Since water restrictions were announced, officials have issued 14 violation tickets, many relating to automatic sprinkler systems.
Five violation tickets have been issued in relation to the fire ban.
Gondek reminded Calgarians to monitor water usage as the weather warms this weekend.
City officials will be updating the FAQ section of the city’s website to respond to questions about the water main break.
Flocculation, coagulation? Calgary’s water treatment system explained
Calgary’s water distribution network has been at the heart of public discussion in recent weeks, since the system was critically impacted by the June 5 rupture of the city’s most important feeder main. The crisis has reduced Calgary’s water supply, plunging residents into stage four water restrictions amid a weeks-long timeline to repair the pipeline and restore the system.
But how exactly does Calgary’s water system work? And how will the current emergency impact its future?
City hall reporter Scott Strasser has put together this explainer.
Read more.
WATCH: Mayor Jyoti Gondek morning update (June 21)
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On Friday morning, Mayor Jyoti Gondek provided a timeline of events since the break was first discovered on June 5.
Explaining each step that the city has taken since the initial break, Gondek emphasized that it is her job to advocate for the people of Calgary. This included pressing officials for an official investigation into the break, and clear and concise communication as information became available.
Gondek said she will be asking council important questions about what is needed in the budget to understand the state of Calgary’s water infrastructure.
“You can bet that I will be calling in all favours from the provincial and federal governments.”
Gondek is speaking with mayors of other large cities to prevent similar catastrophes in their cities.
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Gondek wants wide survey of water lines
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has promised a wide-ranging examination of the city’s underground infrastructure as the city enters its third week of water use restrictions after a catastrophic pipeline break.
“I want to be sure we have a clear line of sight about what our infrastructure looks like under the ground,” Gondek said Friday.
She said she will bring the issue before city council next week.
“I’m going to be asking important questions to find out what we need in the budget, so we have the technology and inspection methods that are needed to understand the type of state our water infrastructure is in.”
Gondek said she will be “calling in all favours” from the provincial and federal governments to make sure the job gets done.
— The Canadian Press
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