New water main break in same NW Calgary area as major rupture last month

Streets were filling with water in the same area of Calgary as last month’s feeder main rupture, but the city says the new leak isn’t connected to the major break in June.

The new water main break caused flooding in the Montgomery neighbourhood along Bowness Road near 49 Street NW on Friday afternoon.

The city says the break and say it is not affecting the nearby feeder main that burst last month, sending the city into a local state of emergency.

“While this break is near the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, it is not on the feeder main itself, and it is not impacting the flow of water through the feeder main,” reads a statement from the city.

“This incident does not affect our ability to meet Calgary’s current water demand, and our water remains safe to drink.”

The new break is in a 10-inch pipe that isn’t directly connected to the feeder main. Crews have shut off valves to stop the flow into the pipe and the flooded water in the area is draining.

“Currently, 14 homes have been affected and 10 businesses have been affected by the service disruption,” reads the city’s webpage on water breaks.

Crews are on site and road closures are in place along Bowness Road. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

The major rupture along the Bearspaw South feeder main was discovered on June 5 when water started flooding 16 Avenue NW near Home Road — only a couple blocks away from Friday’s break.

Calgarians can finally use a sprinkler or a hose to water their lawns and gardens or fill up their pools, after the city moved to Stage 2 water restrictions on Thursday.

City officials said this week that Calgary’s water infrastructure has held up well as the pressure of flow in the feeder main has slowly increased since Monday. There haven’t been any new wire snaps detected in the feeder main since additional pumps were turned on.

Officials said Friday that Calgary could move to the lowest level of water restrictions early next week.