Update #5 on critical water main break affecting City wide water usage

Significant progress is being made as The City of Calgary continues repairing a large water main break in the Bowness and Montgomery area.
Crews reached the damaged section of the critical water main yesterday and overnight continued clearing water, dirt and debris to assess the site of the leak. This critical water transmission line has severely impacted the supply in Calgary’s reservoirs and the ability to move water across the city.
Crews are preparing the feeder main for inspection to determine the next steps and expect to begin cutting out the damaged section of pipe.
“We are making good progress, however, it’s important to know this is a complex process and I want Calgarians to be prepared and understand that it will take some time to complete this repair,” says Water Services Director Nancy Mackay, who estimates it may take up to a week before the situation is resolved.
“There are still many unknowns, and we want to ensure we take the time to do this right.”
Despite the progress being made to start repairing the break, Calgarians are being asked to continue doing their part to reduce water use.
“I am happy to share that Calgarians have done excellent work in the past 24 hours in reducing our water use. Yesterday morning, our water use was outstripping our supply. We asked you to do a little bit extra to save water, and I’m thrilled to share that you listened and have stepped up. Today, we’re asking you keep it up,” says Mackay.
“We are in a better place than yesterday, but it’s only because of you. There is still a high risk that we will run out of water if we don’t continue to conserve as much as we can.”
As Calgarians enjoy the weekend, we remind you we have an active fire ban in place to prevent any unnecessary fires, says Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Sue Henry.
“This allows for our Fire Department to ensure they have water available for any critical firefighting work. Since Thursday, we’ve received 300 calls on water misuse, the majority of those have been resolved. We’ve also received 23 calls related to the fire ban that we are following up on,” says Henry.
“We’re continuing our approach to educate Calgarians first before issuing tickets but will be beginning some enforcement actions this weekend where we’re getting repeated calls for water misuse. Every small action you can take makes a big difference for everyone.”
Calgarians and businesses both have a big role to play in conserving water, says Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
“Over the past two days, our team has contacted more than 700 of the city’s biggest water consumers to tell them about the ban and ask for their cooperation. We’ve received a very positive response, and most are working to do their part,” says Gondek.
“We’ve heard stories from businesses big and small about the steps they are taking to save water, from laundromats asking customers to only do essential laundry, to major water consumers, which have voluntarily made cuts to their water consumption and as of yesterday had saved 284,000 litres of water. These steps can be hard for businesses, but they are so important to our city’s water supply right now. Thank you to everyone who is putting the community first and helping us get through this together.”
BOIL ADVISORY AND WATER WAGONS
The Boil Water Advisory remains in place for all residents and businesses in Bowness. This advisory will remain in effect until further notice.
For more information on Boil Water Advisories and using water safely when an advisory is in place, resources for homeowners and businesses is available here: www.albertahealthservices.ca/...
FIRE BAN AND FIRE SAFETY
The city-wide fire ban is in effect until further notice until water supply issues are no longer deemed a risk to health and safety. Fines for violating a fire ban range from $500 to $5,000.
Fire pits, open fires, gas or propane fire pits, tiki torches, patio heaters are prohibited. Barbecues are allowed. For more information on Calgary fire bans and fire safety advisories, visit calgary.ca/firebans or contact 311. Remember to always call 9-1-1 to report a fire.
CITY SERVICES IMPACTED AND FACILITY CLOSURES
Stay up to date by checking Calgary.ca
Road restrictions remain in place while crews continue to work on the watermain break. We encourage Calgarians to avoid the impacted area around 16 Ave. and Home Rd. N.W.

We will continue to provide updates when information is available via local media, social media, 311 and calgary.ca/wateroutages, and will inform Calgarians when Stage 4 water restrictions are no longer needed.