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Published June 25, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 6 minute read
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Work continues at the site of a broken water main on 16th Avenue NW in Calgary, Monday, June 24, 2024. Jim Wells / Postmedia
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With repairs complete, cleaning of Calgary's damaged water mains and water quality testing is expected to be completed by July 5, in time for the Calgary Stampede.
Meanwhile, the civic body is supplying non-potable water to residents at seven locations in the city.
As the city continues to deal with the water crisis, here's everything you need to know today.
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What you need to know about Calgary's water crisis
Calgary used 476 million litres of water on Monday, dangerously close to the threshold. Filling and flushing of water mains is expected to begin Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. The city has opened seven locations where construction companies and residents can collect non-potable water from the Bow River for free. City councillors are questioning the cost of the ongoing water crisis. The city declared a local state of emergency at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 15. The city has identified and repaired five more issues with pipes as of Tuesday, June 25. The Stampede will go ahead as scheduled. Calgary is operating under Stage 4 water restrictions, which prohibit all outdoor water use. Commercial and industrial water users are also being asked to conserve water, with Gondek asking businesses to consider allowing employees to work from home to “save time for morning showers.”
WATCH: City of Calgary Afternoon Update – June 25th
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As of Tuesday, all repairs to the damaged section of the pipe have been completed. Crews have begun backfilling the area and will soon move on to cleaning up the site. Officials expect the backfilling to be completed by Wednesday.
City officials will work with AHS to implement a four-step process: filling the water mains, draining the water, testing the water quality and stabilizing the system. Filling the water mains could begin Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
François Bouchard, director of capital priorities for the City of Calgary, warned that filling the water mains with water could cause pressure to build up, leading to complications and further ruptures. To mitigate this risk, officials plan to fill the water mains slowly and use acoustic monitors and sensors to detect any pressure spikes.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek plans to continue providing twice-daily updates until water services are fully restored, which may come sooner than the expected July 5 date.
While outdoor water restrictions remain in place, the city is providing non-potable water to residents at seven locations around the city, including the Ogden boat launch, Baker Park, Spy Hill Landfill, Genesis Center, Ambrose University, Bishop O'Byrne High School and the Bankside day-use area at Fish Creek Park. The Bankside location will open Wednesday morning.
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Residential waste collection points will be open from 8am to 8pm and residents are encouraged to bring their own containers, with a limit of 100 litres per household.
Commercial establishments will be open from 7am to 7pm
The city's 311 line received 9,435 calls related to the flooding, and CEMA Director Sue Henry said 17 tickets were issued for water misuse and five for fire bans.
WATCH: City of Calgary Morning Update – June 25th
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Welding has been completed at the hot spot sites and repair work on the main feeder is in its final stages, with backfilling continuing throughout today and tomorrow.
Gondek said there could be some positive news in this afternoon's update on the timeline for fully restoring water service.
Calgary used 476 million litres of water on Monday, moving dangerously close to the threshold.
Work continues at the site of a broken water main on 16th Avenue NW in Calgary, Monday, June 24, 2024. Jim Wells / Postmedia
Calgary Stampede's burst water main repairs completed on schedule
City officials are optimistic that the burst water main will be restored in time for the start of the Calgary Stampede, but warn it will be several days after repairs are completed before water can flow through the main.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Michael Thompson, the city's general manager of infrastructure services, reiterated earlier projections that work would be completed by July 5, one month after the line rupture, but said back-up plans remain in place until service is fully restored.
“While work is progressing, we are not out of the woods yet as we enter this (next) phase,” Thompson said in a briefing Monday afternoon. “There is still much work to be done and we will provide further updates in the coming days.”
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Thompson said once the last of the five identified hot spots is repaired, the area will need to be backfilled before the pipes can be flushed and the water put back into the system can be tested.
“We need to ensure that we take all necessary steps to get water back into the pipes while we closely monitor for any further issues,” he said.
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WATCH – City of Calgary Afternoon Update – June 24th
Officials on Monday afternoon said a two-alarm fire broke out in Calgary's Prestwick neighbourhood on Sunday night and that about three million litres of water have been used to put out the blaze.
Officials thanked Calgarians for their water-saving efforts, ensuring water would flow from fire hydrants when needed.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said repairs were on schedule and that contingency plans were in place in case of delays.
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WATCH – City of Calgary Morning Update – June 24th
Mayor Gondek said water usage in the city and surrounding areas reached a maximum of 467 million litres on Sunday, below the required standard.
Repairs are currently underway and a schedule is being developed to clean the pipes and test the water. Once the work is completed, it will be several days before pressure can be restored to the pipes and before AHS can test the water to ensure it is safe to drink.
“The schedule for repairs to the feeder main appears to be on track and we are targeting completion by July 5th. Repair work has been planned and is progressing as expected.”
The city is providing non-potable water to residents at six locations across the city, including Ogden Boat Launch, Baker Park, Spy Hill Landfill, Genesis Centre, Ambrose University and Bishop A'Byrne High School. The six locations are open from 7am to 7pm and residents are asked to bring their own containers. Residents are limited to 100 litres of water per household.
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City officials pose with newly delivered pipes at the Montgomery water main repair site in Calgary, Sunday, June 23, 2024. Darren Macowiczak / Postmedia
Calgary Stampede water main repairs progressing 'well', reopening part of 16th Street
The City of Calgary is repairing a major water main break and will reopen a portion of NW 16th Street once work to repair the initial break is completed.
Construction work on the initial feeder main line was completed earlier this week, allowing crews to repave the road between 16th Avenue and Home Road and 49th Street NW, reopening the road for the first time since the pipe burst June 5. The road reopened Monday morning.
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Mayor Jyoti Gondek spoke to media during a recent briefing on the city's water crisis. Brent Culver/Postmedia
Gondek demands thorough investigation of city's underground water pipes
Mayor Jyoti Gondek is calling for a city-wide review of Calgary's underground water infrastructure after a water main burst reduced the city's water supply, leading to outdoor watering restrictions and a fire ban in place for the past 16 days.
Gondek said he plans to ask administration at Tuesday's city council meeting “what we need in the budget” to ensure the city has the technology and testing methods it needs to fully understand the current state of Calgary's water distribution network.
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“Like all of you, I want a clear picture of what's going on with Calgary's underground infrastructure,” Gondek said during a Friday morning briefing on the water crisis, which began June 5.
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Western Pride Car Wash at 40th Avenue and North Mount Drive NW remains closed due to water restrictions. Jim Wells / Postmedia
Car washes closed at city request, businesses enter third week of restrictions
Chris Friesen had no interest in closing his business for more than three weeks.
On Tuesday, Friesen, the car wash owner, received a letter from the City of Calgary telling him to close and called several locations. By Thursday, a truck full of water had arrived at Mint Smartwash in southeast Calgary to provide drinking water so as not to violate city regulations.
The car wash may be one of the few in Calgary that remains open after the City of Calgary sent a letter to the owner asking him to suspend operations until the Bearspaw South water main is restored.
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Bill Atkinson, a driver for EarRound Landscaping, waits for his water truck to be filled up in Baker Park in northwest Calgary on Friday. Jim Wells/Postmedia
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