Calgary to provide update on water main status

July 30, 2024 Canuck

The City of Calgary will provide an update on the status of the Bearspaw feeder main Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Calgary remains in Stage 1 outdoor water use restrictions for the time being as officials continue to keep an eye on the key pipe.

Since last Wednesday, five additional wire snaps have been detected along the key pipe — one on Sunday, another on Friday and three on Thursday, the city says. No new wire snaps were detected Saturday.

The city monitors the coils that wrap around the feeder main, which help strengthen it, for wire snaps. While these snaps do not indicate the pipe will break, officials note it is a way of determining how much stress is on the pipe.

Nancy Mackay, the city’s water services director, says the city received the initial results of the PipeDiver inspection late Friday night, and it will take days to analyze the data. Calgary is working on a long-term rehabilitation plan for the feeder main, so the inspection data will be incorporated into it.

An additional pump was turned on at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant on Wednesday, further increasing water flow to the pipe.

Officials have previously said monitoring how the feeder main holds up with increased water pressure from the pump will inform their decision about whether to lift water restrictions further.

Calgary has been experiencing ongoing water supply issues that were triggered by a catastrophic failure in the Bearspaw south feeder main on June 5.

a chart on what is allowed under stage 1 water restrictions. — City officials announced the move from Stage 2 to Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (City of Calgary)

Under Stage 1 restrictions, the use of sprinklers and in-ground sprinkling systems are permitted for two hours per week.

Residents are allowed to water using those methods but must follow the city’s watering schedule — even number addresses are permitted to water on Wednesday or Saturday, and odd number addresses are allowed to water Thursday or Sunday.

Watering with sprinklers and in-ground systems is allowed between these hours, according to the city’s website:

4 a.m. to 7 a.m.
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Watering using a hose with a trigger nozzle is allowed at any time, according to the city.

Under Stage 1 outdoor water use restrictions, the following water-related activities remain prohibited:

Washing driveways and sidewalks.
Washing vehicles in the driveway or street.
Washing windows or exterior building surfaces, unless it’s done by a business licensed to do so.
Filling fountains and decorative water features. Bird baths, however, are allowed.

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