With water restrictions still in place in Calgary amid ongoing water supply concerns stemming from a massive water main break last week, the mayor thanked residents on Monday for heeding calls to conserve water.
“The people of Calgary, you've done an amazing job reducing your water use,” Jodi Gondek said in a statement at 8:30 a.m.
Calgarians used 457 million litres of water on Sunday, down from about 650 million litres on Wednesday, Gondek said in a statement.
She noted that the figures she disclosed were “preliminary” and had not yet been confirmed, but called them “very good news.”
“You’ll find you’re using a lot less,” Gondek added. “Just keep doing it.”
Gondek said Calgary's current available water supply is about 620 million litres, but he reminded Calgarians that the city needs to have additional supplies so firefighters can do their jobs and respond to emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
She reminded Calgarians that some simple ways to reduce water use are to take shorter showers and flush the toilet less often.
“You can do laundry and dishes, but make sure you fill the load.”
Gondek did not take questions from reporters Monday morning, but she is expected to give an update at the City of Calgary's Emergency Operations Centre at 2 p.m. local time, along with Calgary Emergency Management Agency Director Susan Henry and City of Calgary Water Director Nancy McKay.
A water main break in the Montgomery community on Wednesday prompted a boil water advisory for the neighbouring community of Bowness. Calgarians are being asked to stop using water outdoors and minimize water use indoors because of the water main break.
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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.
The city issued an update Sunday night, saying crews continue to “work to repair a large feeder main break near 16th Avenue and Northwest Home Road.”
“Work is progressing well and crews are getting closer to replacing the damaged pipe,” city officials said in a news release. “Today (Sunday), crews were able to successfully cut open the pipe so that the damaged section could be removed. The pipe will be ready for repair while several technical tests are completed to understand what additional work needs to be done.”
“This is a very critical phase and it will take some time to complete. Today we removed a section of pipeline close to the rupture, which is the first step in removing the damaged pipeline and we aim to complete it by the end of today.”
City officials said once the assessment is complete and crews have all the parts they need to complete the restoration, they will begin installing the new sections and completing the welding.
“I want to reassure you that our staff, engineers and team members are working around the clock to get this done,” Mr Mackay said. “We know this is extremely challenging for residents and businesses in Bowness.”
To stay up to date with the City of Calgary, you can follow the city’s social media channels Or visit its website here.
For the latest Alberta emergency alerts, you can Click here to visit the province's website.
For more information on boil water recommendations, You can visit the Alberta Health Services website by clicking here.
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