Calgary to increase flow in new feedermain, end of restrictions in sight

The City of Calgary is continuing to move cautiously in its work to restore full water service to the city after a feeder main break more than a month ago.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek and director of capital priorities and investment Francois Bouchard, provided an update Monday morning, explaining that restrictions will stay in place for a while longer, but things are moving in the right direction.

“The feeder main has been filled with water and the caution that were are exercising right now is the speed at which we flow water through the pipe,” Gondek explained. “The speed of flow has been increasing over the past two-week period, and as we have increased that speed, we have monitored how the pipe is responding to that pressure.”

City officials want to continue to test the capabilities of the feeder main, and say that has led to the decision to turn on another pump at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant around midday Monday.

Over the next 72 hours, the pipe will be monitored by technology to see how it responds to the added pressure.

If all goes well, Bouchard says the city could move to Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions on Thursday, followed by a move to Stage 1 restrictions on Monday, July 22.

“Our move today is trying to strike balance — we’re managing the risk between increased water flow which will lessen water restrictions, and the pipe’s overall stability,” he said.

Calgary has been under Stage 3 water restrictions since Saturday, July 6, which allows for things like hand watering from a watering can or other container, watering new sod or grass seed, and water use for construction purposes and home renovation projects.

However, exceptions were made to allow for the filling of pools last week due to record-breaking heat.

Stage 1 and 2 water restrictions allow for use of sprinklers outside, filling outdoor pools, and hose and hand watering.

Bouchard says it is possible more issues with the pipe could arise in the coming days as pressure increases and monitoring is ongoing.

Last week, three snaps were found in different segments of the feeder main pipe. Officials explain the wire coils hundreds of times around each 16-foot segment of pipe, so a single snap isn’t a sign that a new break in the pipe is imminent, but it does provide information about how the pipe is responding to pressure.

As of Sunday afternoon, no other wire snaps had been found along the feeder main.

Semi-regular updates will return by city officials will return as the situation is ongoing.

Gondek will host press conferences Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.