Here's what you need to know about Calgary's water situation | CBC ...

Lily Dupuis · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 26, 2024 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Starting Monday, Calgary's most critical water main will be shut down again. This means mandatory Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions come back into effect, certain roads will be closed for construction, and residents and businesses will be asked to cut back on treated water use.

The shut down comes after the city revealed the Bearspaw south feeder main — the underground highway that moves 60 per cent of Calgary's potable water across the city — needs additional, urgent repairs following its rupture on June 5.

Since that rupture, Calgary and the surrounding communities that depend on its water supply have been moving through various levels of water restrictions. 

Stage 4 restrictions

In Calgary, there has been some level of water restrictions active all summer. The city has not been under Stage 4 water restrictions — the most restrictive stage — since July 6, when officials eased back to Stage 3.

The restrictions so far have just applied for outdoor water use, as the city has only asked that individuals and commercial water users voluntarily reduce their water consumption.

This time around, that remains the same, and the city is asking businesses to reduce their water usage by 25 per cent. 

For indoor use, the city is asking individuals to conserve water via these three steps:

Limit showers to 3 minutes or less. According to a news release sent Friday, "shortening a shower from five minutes to three minutes can save 20 litres of water." Run laundry and dishwashers only when full, and reduce the number of loads washed per week. Flush toilets only when necessary. If using a low-flow toilet, this could save six litres of water per flush on average, according to the city's website.

During an Aug. 20 press conference, the city's manager of drinking water distribution, Chris Huston, said the safe consumption target is 450 million litres of water per day, which he said accounts for the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant operating at full capacity. The 450-million-litre daily use target is the same as the last round of Stage 4 restrictions.

Water use bylaw enforcement

The city's bylaw services are responsible for enforcing water restrictions and issuing penalties. 

According to Calgary's Water Utility Bylaw, water misuse fines range from $400 for a violation during Stage 1 restrictions to $3,000 for a violation during Stage 4.

Starting Monday, the city will reopen its non-potable Bow River water pickup locations for individuals and commercial use. 

From 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily for commercial users, and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily for residential users, non-potable water will be available for collection from three sites: 

West Baker Park boat launch. Ogden boat launch. Bankside. Construction impacts, road closures

Construction will occur along 33rd Avenue N.W. between 78th Street and 87th Street N.W., and at Shouldice Park.

"Significant construction work in this area will begin on Monday, as well as beginning the feeder main repairs in Shouldice Park later in the week," said Francois Bouchart, the city's director of capital priorities and investment during a news conference Thursday.

Bouchart said the work in Shouldice Park would not affect traffic on 16th Avenue N.W. and there would be no impact to the major route until after the September long weekend.

"There may be temporary impacts on Montserrat Drive, which is immediately adjacent to the repair location," he said.

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Crews are conducting the majority of the repairs — 21 segments of the feeder main — along 33rd Avenue and 16th Avenue N.W., and 16 to 18 excavation sites are expected. Thirteen of the 21 pipe segments being repaired first are along 33rd Avenue N.W. 

According to a construction update email from the city sent Friday, crews will also be sawcutting into some homeowners' driveways along 33rd Avenue N.W. starting Monday, marking the first step in the excavation process to expose the feeder main.

There are two additional repairs that will be done to the feeder main along Parkdale Boulevard N.W. between 26th and 27th streets, and on Broadview Road N.W. near Crowchild Trail, which the city says will occur after the other 21 repairs are complete.

The city had previously been charting out the timeline for this work as Aug. 26 to Sept. 23. However, its website has changed its wording, and now notes the "end of September" as an end date. 

Officials say this timeline is subject to change as crews work through repairs and visually inspect the pipe, so Calgarians can expect mandatory restrictions on water use to be in effect for at least the next month.

No citywide fire ban, no state of emergency

According to an announcement last week from Chief Steve Dongworth of the Calgary Fire Department, this round of water-use restrictions would not include a citywide fire ban or a ban on hot works businesses like it did earlier this summer. 

WATCH | How it all started back in June: 

While Calgarians wait for full water restoration, many wonder: How could this critical piece of water infrastructure fail and were there signs that it would? Video journalist Helen Pike looks at what a catastrophic break means and how the critical infrastructure buried underground is maintained.

"Because we were assured by our friends at water services that we will have the pressure, the flow and the volume of water that we need for firefighting from the fire hydrants, we've decided to ramp back a little bit from the last experience," Dongworth told reporters during last Thursday's update.

He added that the fire ban situation is subject to change if necessary. 

As of right now, there is no state of local emergency in effect since it was lifted July 4.