Rinse and repeat: Calgarians back to water restrictions as new pipe problems found

CALGARY — Residents in Calgary and surrounding communities fresh off having to conserve water for weeks due to a water main break are soon going to have to do it all over again.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced Wednesday extended tests on more than 10 kilometres of pipe have revealed 16 more problem spots that need to be fixed.

Work on those sites is set to begin in about three weeks, on Aug. 28, and are expected to last one month.

Gondek said that means as of Aug. 26, the city’s 1.6 million residents and those in surrounding communities will be urged to conserve water again indoors while a sweeping ban on outdoor watering will resume.

“I understand how much this impacts your life,” said Gondek, who said asking Calgarians to endure another round of repair was not easy for her.

“I know this is not the news that any of us wanted to hear. At the same time, I’m grateful that we have this important information that allows us to act in a manner that protects our water system against any potential breaks to everyone in the Calgary region.”

Communities affected beyond city limits include Airdrie, Tsuut’ina Nation, Strathmore and Chestermere.

Calgarians were asked to reduce toilet flushes, loads of laundry and dishwashing after the water main ruptured on June 5.

Voluntary indoor water restrictions continued until July 2, days before the marquee summer event in the city, the Calgary Stampede, kicked off.

Mandatory outdoor limits were being reduced in stages before Gondek’s latest announcement.

“This time, you will have time to make sure you have clean linens, that you have clean clothes and clean dishes and that you’re able to stockpile rainwater for your gardens and your plants through the period of repair and restoration,” said Gondek.

Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services, said the city doesn’t expect to close down specific businesses, unlike during the last round of restrictions.

Because the water main shutdown is being planned ahead of time, he said he doesn’t expect there to be boil water advisories or the need for water wagons.

“We will not be closing indoor pools either, at either hotels or recreation centres, and we will not be closing arenas,” he said.

More work to rehabilitate the feeder main could stretch into next year, but the city needs to act now in time for river water to refill a key reservoir before the winter, said Thompson.

“We also need to minimize the risk of the feeder main breaking unexpectedly in the winter when we would not be able to refill the reservoir because river flows are too low,” he said.

An estimated $20 million to $25 million will be pulled from the city’s reserves to pay for the repairs to date.

Ruhee Ismail-Teja, with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, said Calgary’s recent population growth has put a significant strain on water infrastructure.

“We are certainly disappointed to have to go back to the stage four restrictions,” she said, adding that the first go-around was already challenging for businesses.

“But we’re also glad that the city is being proactive and planning the outages that are unfortunately required to be able to get our system fully functional.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.

— By Lisa Johnson and Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

The Canadian Press