Update on Calgary indoor water-use measures expected Tuesday as stabilization work continues

The City of Calgary expects to have an update Tuesday on when indoor water-use reduction measures could be eased as work continues to stabilize the city’s water infrastructure.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said stabilization work began on Sunday.

“This includes adjusting the rest of the water network back to regular service, as we’ve been running mainly from the Glenmore Treatment Plant,” Gondek said during a Monday morning update.

The mayor noted, however, that the stabilization stage is the riskiest, as crews slowly turn on valves to connect the feeder main to the rest of the water network and turn on pumps at the Bowness water treatment facility.

“During this stabilization step that we are in, Calgary is at the greatest risk of another break or a major disruption of service,” Gondek said.

“If we go too fast, this could overstress the system. This could cause leaks or breaks. That’s why we’re being so incredibly cautious and taking things very slowly.”

The Bearspaw feeder main is now back in service and has been reconnected to the rest of the city’s water distribution system.

The amount of water flowing through the feeder main is being slowly increased as crews monitor for additional leaks or breaks.

“We’ve been using acoustic and pressure monitors to closely watch system performance, and so far, we have not heard any indications of further issues with the feeder main,” Michael Thompson, the city’s general manager of infrastructure services said during an afternoon update on Monday.

The city will continue to monitor the pipe and increase the flow accordingly.

Thompson said while the water service restoration progress is moving in a positive direction, water conservation measures still need to continue for the time being.

The next update from the city will begin a little bit later on Tuesday – 10:30 a.m. – to gather as much data as possible before presenting the next steps.

While the city is not yet in a place to lift outdoor water restrictions or the fire ban, the overnight monitoring will inform when the indoor reduction measures could be eased.

“After we ease indoor water saving measures, we will need to let the system stabilize more before we announce any changes to our outdoor water restrictions,” Thompson said.

On Sunday, the mayor said water samples sent to Alberta Health Services for testing met and exceeded quality standards, making way for the final stabilization stage.

Calgarians used 425 million litres of water on Sunday – an all-time low during this water crisis, according to Gondek.

Some Calgarians – particularly in the Parkdale area – may have noticed cloudiness in their tap water on Sunday. The city says this was a temporary, asethetic condition and water remains safe to drink.