Calgary pipeline repairs to be complete by this weekend

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says construction work has been going well and is expected to be wrapped up by this weekend, with restrictions being lifted by Sept. 22.

"Thanks to round-the-clock work that's being done by construction crews as well as the advance planning that's being done by city experts, we are expecting construction on the Bearspaw south feeder main to be completed this weekend.

'On behalf of all Calgarians I would like to thank and congratulate all of the crews and the teams who have been working tirelessly to help secure the safety of our water system."

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News of the updated schedule comes after Calgarians and area residents kept their water use in check for a second day in a row, building momentum on some good news that repair work could be finished ahead of schedule.

Pipe filled on Monday

As long as the rainy weather doesn't cause any problems, Michael Thompson, the City of Calgary's general manager of infrastructure services, said the repaired water main will begin to be filled starting Monday.

"We will be conducting ongoing water quality tests," he said, adding that the main won't need to be flushed because it was not opened to contaminants.

If all goes to plan, Thompson says water use will be restored and restrictions will be lifted by Sept. 21 or 22.

Internal report on main break coming up

Gondek said an internal review into the original water main break in early June is expected to be completed sometime next month while an independent, third-party review is still being assembled.

"Both of those reviews will inform all of us, with transparency and clarity, what happened, why it happened and what needs to happen to make sure it never happens again."

Once all of that information has been collected, Gondek says she will go to the provincial and federal government for their help in improving Calgary's infrastructure.