Third-party to investigate cause of Calgary water line break
Posted Jun 18, 2024 11:08 am.
Last Updated Jun 18, 2024 4:53 pm.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says a third party will investigate exactly what led up to the break of a major water line nearly two weeks ago and what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), David Duckworth, says the framework for the full third party review has already been established.
The review will be guided by a lot of different experts in many different industries, including civil engineering and water. Once the panel has been established, the full review will be launched, and the results will eventually be shared with Calgarians.
It will still be three to five weeks before the feeder main is fixed, but the city says a review of the timeline will happen on Friday. The city already has parts for three of the repairs, and parts from the other two — which are coming from San Diego — are still on the way.
In their Tuesday afternoon water update, the city says the two big pieces coming from southern California are expected to arrive ahead of schedule on Tuesday night.
Martin Coghill with the San Diego County Water Authority says Calgary officials told them they had enough pipe to perform multiple repairs, but had a need for the two special pieces of pipe.
“These sizes of pipe are kind of uncommon around North America,” he says. “We happened to have two pieces in storage so the numbers matched up. We were happy to help.”
He says their agreement with the City of Calgary involves being sent some pipe they need in return.
Gondek says the third-party expert panel review will ultimately provide recommendations based on the findings of the repair work that can then be shared with Calgarians.
“I know this review will go a long way to providing answers and transparency for the public,” Gondek said.
The city says the Glenmore Treatment Plant continues to be the main source of water for the city, and 450 million litres of water was used on Monday.
Gondek says this means Calgarians and those living in neighbouring areas connected to the city’s water supply continue to be “excellent water stewards.”
“You have done such an acceptable job in cutting your water use, we are below the threshold for usage and well within the range of water required for storage on a regular basis,” the mayor said.
The site of the main feeder main has been fixed, and work on the five hot spots the were subsequently found are currently underway, Duckworth says.
He added that city crews are doing repairs on the five hotspots at the same time to make sure the repair happens as quick as possible.
Outdoor water restrictions remain ongoing, as does a fire ban.
Calgarians are also encouraged to take voluntary steps inside their homes to save water, like holding off on dishes and laundry until the load is full, turning off the tap when shaving and brushing your teeth, and reducing the length of your shower.
City officials said Tuesday upcoming major events, including the Calgary Stampede, will not be interrupted by the city’s ongoing water emergency.
Officials assured that the Stampede, set to kickoff on July 5, will still happen, and say contingency plans are being made to ensure it won’t have an adverse effect on the city’s efforts to conserve water, if restrictions are still in place.
-With files from Michael Ranger
