Those responsible for planning and coordinating the repair of last week's serious water main break in Calgary provided city council on Tuesday with a rough timeline for when they expect the work to be completed.
City councillors were told on Tuesday that crews expect to have the main feeder line fixed by Thursday, but it will still need to be flushed and tested, which is expected to take several more days.
although A boil water advisory issued last week for a northwest Calgary community has been liftedthe city continues to face water supply issues as crews respond to a major water main break that occurred last week.
Alberta Health Services said in a news release Monday evening that it has lifted a boil water advisory that had been in place for the community of Bowness for several days.
“Because water quality has been restored, the boil water advisory issued on June 5, 2024, has been lifted, effective immediately,” the health department said.
Councilwoman Sonya Sharp told reporters at City Hall on Tuesday that lifting the boil water advisory was “a relief.”
“(Letting people know) they can turn on the tap … is really important,” she said. “We expect this to continue for some time.”
A water main break in the Montgomery community on Wednesday led to a boil water advisory being issued for Bowness. Calgarians are also being asked to stop using water outdoors and minimize water use indoors due to water main breaks.
City officials described the broken water main as a “critical water pipeline.” They noted the damage “severely impacted” Calgary's water supply and the city's ability to deliver water, and warned that without Calgary's water conservation efforts, water supply may not be able to meet demand.
Gunderke said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that Calgarians' water conservation efforts have saved the equivalent of 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. She noted that Calgarians must continue to conserve water in the days ahead.
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Earlier on Tuesday, she said the lifting of the boil water advisory for Bowness was “very good news for local residents and businesses”.
Gunderke said preliminary data showed Calgarians consumed 472 million litres of water on Monday, an increase from the weekend.
Gondek told reporters at City Hall on Tuesday that she was grateful for the citizens’ response over the past few days.
“Our water supply is down. We're going to be fine. We're going to get it back up and running,” Gondek told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
In a news release issued late Monday afternoon, city officials said crews were “advancing work to repair … a large branch line mainline rupture.”
They said crews had removed one section of the damaged pipe and work was underway on two more sections, adding that video was being reviewed to help understand the extent of the damage.
The timeline for lifting water restrictions is still being worked out.
Water department director Nancy Mackay said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that crews still need to install and weld the replacement pipe, which will arrive Tuesday afternoon. The replacement pipe will take about two days to install.
Crews will then fill and flush the water mains, which means draining all the water out of the pipes and removing any sediment that may be left in the newly installed pipes. MacKay said the process is expected to take three days.
Crews will fill the pipe to restore service, which will take another two days, MacKay added.
Sharp noted that she wants people to realize that “this is a very dynamic and very large pipeline.”
“I think the most important thing is to solve the problem and solve it well,” she said. “I think Calgarians have shown the patience and resilience that we expect.
“We really need to give everyone space to work things out and fix them properly.”
Fire restrictions to be relaxed for some construction projects
Calgary's fire chief told city councillors on Tuesday that the department will relax some fire restrictions put in place last week to mitigate the risks for crews battling blazes with limited water supplies.
Steve Dongworth said while the city still had a fire ban in place, the relaxed restrictions were having an impact on the city’s construction industry.
He explained that the restrictions cover “hot work”, which includes a range of construction work that uses direct flames or produces sparks.
The Calgary Fire Department will now allow roofing work involving hot air, welding and cold-finished roofing, including new construction projects. Construction sites must have a fire watch 60 minutes after using these materials and an inspection four hours after completion. Additional fire extinguishers must also be available on site.
Recreation centers will resume some activities
Starting Tuesday, the city's recreational facilities will resume all weight rooms, gyms and non-aquatic activities. However, pools and showers will remain closed.
Henry said all facilities will adjust procedures to use as little water as possible but will resume normal operating hours Tuesday.
Participants in any cancelled programmes, bookings, classes and sessions will be notified by email and automatically refunded. Henry noted that due to the high volume of inquiries, refunds may take up to two weeks.
Leisure passes will also have their validity extended depending on the service impact.
To stay up to date with the City of Calgary, you can follow the city’s social media channels Or click here to visit its website.
For the latest Alberta emergency alerts, you can Click here to visit the province's website.
–With files from Adam MacVicar and Paula Tran, Global News
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
