Calgary continues monitoring fixed pipe as new wire snap found

The City of Calgary said Sunday another wire snap has been found and it’s continuing to monitor the pipe as it eases outdoor water restrictions.

The wire snap found on the feeder main on Saturday is the fifth one found so far since the pipe was brought back into service.

“This snap does not mean that another break in the critical feeder main is imminent,” said Nancy MacKay, the city’s water services director.

“However, it does mean that our continued monitoring remains important as we continue to ease water restrictions and consider increasing flow of water in that feeder main.”

Water is flowing at 70 per cent of its maximum speed, and the city’s usage continues to increase, with around 641 million litres being used on Saturday.

MacKay says the increase lines up with the city’s forecasts since moving to Stage 2 outdoor restrictions.

Meanwhile, MacKay says city crews are finishing repairs to a water main break in Calgary’s Montgomery that happened Friday, just one block away from the location of the massive water rupture from June 5 that constrained the city’s water use for weeks.

Crews have shut off valves to stop the flow into the pipe, leaving 14 homes and 10 businesses without any water in their homes. The city has water wagons on site.

MacKay says the portion of Bowness Road that has been closed in both directions will remain that way until it’s safe to reopen.

For the time being, she is asking residents to drive carefully and follow all detours and other signage in the area.

“Whenever crews do repair work, they need to flush the pipes in order to ensure that the water is safe to drink, while we take measures to reduce the amount of water that’s needed to flush through that pipe this process is necessary,” she said.

She also reiterated the recent water main break is not connected to the feeder main.

“It’s on a much smaller, 10-inch cast iron pipe, and it is not impacting the flow of water through the feeder main,” MacKay said.

She says the break has not affected the water system’s ability to meet Calgary’s current water demand, adding water remains safe to drink.

Stage 2 outdoor restrictions mean residents and businesses can use a sprinkler, soaker hose, or in-ground sprinkling system for up to one hour a week on specific days.

The sprinkler schedule is based on the address of houses, with even numbers being on one schedule, and houses with odd numbers being on another.

Even house numbers can water on Wednesdays or Saturdays, and odd house numbers can water on Thursdays or Sundays.

A full list of Stage 2 restrictions can be found here.

MacKay says Mayor Jyoti Gondek and General Manager of Infrastructure Services Michael Thompson will provide an update on Monday at 8:30 a.m. The city will decide on whether it can move to Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions at that time.

Moving to Stage 1 means residents and businesses can use water for two hours outside instead of one on the same set schedule.

Listen to CityNews660 for the very latest water updates, as well as traffic and weather together every 10 minutes on the ones.

With files from Lauryn Heintz