Calgary water usage drops but still exceeds reduction target

Calgarians made some progress on water conservation on Tuesday, but the city is still exceeding the target officials says is necessary to ensure taps don’t run dry.

The city used 497 million litres of potable water on Tuesday, down from 530 million litres on Monday, but still more than the 450 million litres that would be a 25 per cent reduction of the typical water demand.

“This is still above our daily target, but it’s an encouraging sign that people are taking the needed steps to save water,” said Calgary’s general manager of infrastructure services Michael Thompson during a Wednesday afternoon update.

Officials have continually said the city runs a risk of running out of water and a citywide boil water advisory is possible if the consumption target is consistently exceeded.

“We cannot meet normal water demand while the urgent repairs are taking place,” says Thompson.

The Bearspaw South feeder main is being dug up and reinforced with concrete in several problem areas that were discovered earlier this month. The city says the repairs are necessary to complete now before the cold weather arrives in the coming months.

In the meantime, residents are being asked to limit showers to three minutes, skipping toilet flushes when possible, and only wash full loads of dishes and laundry.

“Washing machines are one of the biggest users of water inside your home,” says Thompson, who added “shortening a shower can quickly add up to significant water saving.”

Calgary returned to Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions on Monday which means people are prohibited from watering their lawns using hoses or spinklers.

The city says they have setup several non-potable water stations for people to use for gardening and plant watering.

The restrictions are expected to last until the feeder main repairs wrap up on Sept. 23. A list of what is permitted during Stage 4 restrictions can be found here.

Excavation of feeder main underway

The city says the consistent rainfall throughout the day Wednesday hasn’t delayed the work on the pipe.

Water flow into the feeder main from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant was turned off early Tuesday and crews began excavation on Wednesday, digging up and exposing three sections of the pipe along 33 Avenue NW.

Excavation is also underway near Shouldice Park.

“As the pipe segments are exposed, our crews are assessing their condition to confirm that our planned repair method is appropriate,” reads a release from the city. “We have contingency plans in place if a different repair method is necessary.”

Once confirmed, crews will start to prepare the pipes in order to reinforce them with steel and concrete.

In all, the work will repair 21 sites along 33 and 16 Avenue NW. There will also be two pipe segment repairs on Parkdale Boulevard and near Crowchild Trail.