Water restrictions return to Calgary next week

Calgarians will face another month of water restrictions starting next week as the city prepares to shut down the Bearspaw South Feeder Main for reinforcement work.

The shutdown, starting on March 9, will take the feeder main offline for around a month while crews reinforce deteriorating sections of the aging pipe. Another shut down is expected in the fall.

“This is one of two scheduled shut downs required this year, so we can reinforce the existing Bearspaw South Feeder Main and ensure it remains stable and reliable,” said Calgary mayor Jeromy Farkas.

With only one water treatment plant supplying Calgary and neighbouring communities during that time, the city says all outdoor water use will be banned and indoor conservation will be essential to prevent system-wide risks.

After a major break in December, its second in under two years, engineers determined that reinforcement work could not wait for the new parallel steel pipe, which is scheduled for completion in December.

On Monday, crews will begin installing structural supports along vulnerable sections of the line. The work is expected to last about four weeks.

Residents will notice early construction activity this week as crews remove concrete medians along 16 Avenue NW to set up traffic detours and place site trailers. The westbound exit from 16 Avenue onto Sarcee Trail will remain closed.

Water restrictions

With the feeder main offline, the city says the system can only meet demand if total water use stays below 500 million litres per day.

This is slightly up from the previous round of restrictions where officials called for water use below 485 million litres.

Exceeding that threshold could mean insufficient water supply for firefighting, low pressure leading to a boil-water advisory, and a potential loss of water service if a major system failure occurs, according to the city.

“Our estimates show that we will be able to keep up with demand if we can all work together to keep water usage at or below 500 million litres per day,” says the city’s infrastructure general manager Michael Thompson.

The city is urging every household to cut daily use by at least 25 litres. Officials say residents can accomplish this by adopting temporary habits:

• Keep showers to three minutes or less
• Flush only when necessary
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads
• Find and fix household leaks
• Follow the full ban on outdoor watering

The feeder main, which handles 60 per cent of Calgary’s treated water, ruptured in December for the second time in less than two years.

Despite ongoing repairs, officials have said there is no guarantee the pipe won’t break unexpectedly again before or after the reinforcement work.

If another break happens, the city says crews will work quickly to repair the break and complete the reinforcements at the same time.