June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (2024)

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Shawn Knox, Mackenzie Rhode

Published Jun 28, 2024Last updated 5days ago9 minute read

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June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (1)

With repairs now complete, and filling of the pipe underway, final steps for restoration of Calgary’s water supply are on track to be completed by July 1, barring any complications.

In the meantime, the mayor is asking Calgarians to continue reduced water consumption, as usage has been on a steady incline through the week, reaching levels above the threshold.

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June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (2)

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Here is everything you need to know today as the city continues to deal with a water crisis:

What you need to know about Calgary’s water emergency

  • Calgarians used 500 million liters of water Thursday, which is well above the 450 million liters the city would like to be at in case of emergencies.
  • Canada Day fireworks will proceed, with safety plans in place.
  • Filling of the pipe is expected to be completed Friday night, with flushing to begin immediately after
  • The city has opened seven sites where construction companies and residents can gather free, non-potable water from the Bow River.
  • Bowness businesses are relieved as parts of 16th Ave have reopened.
  • Councillors are raising questions about the cost of the ongoing water crisis.
  • The city issued a local state of emergency at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 15.
  • Stampede will go ahead.
  • Calgary is operating underStage 4 water restrictions, meaning all outdoor water use is banned.
  • Commercial and industrial water users have also been asked to cut back, with Gondek asking businesses to consider allowing employees to work from home to “save them the time of having a shower in the morning.”

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WATCH: City of Calgary afternoon update – June 28

June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (3)

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Mayor Gondek addressed Calgarians Friday afternoon with a grim message that too much water was used the day before. The city used 500 million litres, 7 million of which was used to fill the pipe. This puts usage above the threshold of 480 million litres per day.

“I am the mayor of this city and I have a responsibility to deliver clear communication to all of you as well as transparency throughout this emergency. So let me be perfectly clear when I say this, we need to reduce our water usage,” she said before listing efforts she has made to conserve water.

She suggested Calgarians have given up on conserving water, and urged people to continue conservation efforts while crews finish the final steps before restoration.

“If water consumption continues on the current trendline that we are on, we may be putting lives at risk,” said CEMA chief Sue Henry, regarding hospital and fire department requirements for water.

Officials expect flushing to begin Friday evening, and remind residents that while water may appear discoloured as it spills into the river, it will cause no harm to the ecosystem.

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While the July 1 restoration date is still feasible, officials emphasized the timing is dependent on the remaining steps, including testing. If AHS water-testing results do not come back clean, additional flushing and testing may be required.

The city’s 311 line has taken over 10,079 calls related to the water event. Eighteen tickets have been issued for water misuse, and six tickets have been issued in relation to the fire ban, according to Henry.

Since Monday, 1,843 people have visited the seven non-potable water sites, pulling 118,532 litres of water.

WATCH: City of Calgary morning update – June 28th

June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (5)

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Mayor Gondek emphasized that while repairs on the pipe are complete, the water feeder main is not back in service yet and will not be for several days. Thursday, Calgarians used 500 million litres, the most usage since water restrictions were put in place.

Gondek pleaded with Calgarians to do better in reducing water consumption, “we can do difficult things” she said.

Filling the pipe is set to be complete Friday night, after which workers can move on to flushing the pipe. The mayor reminded that during the filling and flushing phases, there are risks of pipe failure, and contingencies are in place. Privat sector pipeline experts were consulted to ensure the feeder main is brought back into full service as quickly and safely as possible.

June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (6)

As city nears lifting water-saving measures, conservation still urged

Traffic was to resume on 16th Avenue N.W. on Thursday after workers completed paving the site of water main repairs, the city announced Thursday, as it continues to fill the pipe with treated water before flushing out the debris on Friday.

“We are actually very close to being able to lift some of those measures that we asked you to practise to save water inside your homes,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said at a news conference.

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“But we’re not quite there yet.”

The city will test the water over the weekend and, if the results meet safety standards, the feeder main will be stabilized as treated water enters the pipe. The city expects to complete these stages by Monday and ease indoor and outdoor water restrictions later next week if everything falls into place.

Read more.

Calgarians offer water-saving tips as city passes the threshold

June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (7)

On Thursday, the city used 500 million litres, 7 million of which was used to fill the pipe. This puts usage above the threshold of 480 million litres per day.

The city is currently operating understage four water restrictions. What that means is that all outdoor water use is banned.

Indoor water reduction is voluntary, but necessary for reservoirs to catch up with demand, according to city officials.

We asked our readers to share ways they are using less water and they delivered.

Choose meals that require little-to-no water to cook, or change cooking methods to accommodate lower water usage. Examples include using less water when boiling pasta or vegetables, or using a barbecue to cook vegetables, if possible.

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Water can also be reduced in coffee by swapping to espresso, which requires less water.

Greg, a plumber, uses old whiskey bottles in toilet tanks to save water with each flush.

Some have turned to two-in-one shampoo and conditioners to avoid the need for a double rinse. Dry shampoo is a good option for those skipping hair washing completely.

General consensus is to keep showers under five minutes.

Ensure water is turned off between soaping and rinsing hands, and between brushing and rinsing teeth.

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Businesses hit by water main work relieved as 16 Ave. slowly reopens

June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (8)

“It’s been a journey, it’s been a struggle,” said Dilnaj Kullar, owner of the Bowness Bottle Depot.

He said the re-opening of a stretch of 16 Ave. in front of his business on Thursday morning brought an instant wave of business that had been choked off since the initial June 5 feeder main rupture up the street and magnified by the discovery of a series of vulnerable pipe spots, one of them almost directly in front of his shop.

“When they did open it, it was wonderful to see how many of our customers were here to support us – there must have been 15 cars,” said Kullar.

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The road closure reduced his business by at least 60 per cent, he said, adding he’s asked city official for financial compensation.

“Give us a tax break or something, but they never brought it up,” said Kullar.

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June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (9)

Water service could be restored by Canada Day as city begins work of adding water to ruptured feeder main

Water service could be restored as early as Monday with restrictions easing soon after, city officials announced Wednesday.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the process of refilling the repaired feeder main will begin Wednesday night, followed by the flushing of any debris, the testing of treated water and the stabilization of the pipe.

“These next few days are going to be critical to making sure that we provide you with updates about what we’re observing as the water begins to flow,” Gondek said at a news conference.

The mayor noted that the timeline could be stretched further if the city encounters any problems during these stages.

Workers will soon start paving the road on 16th Avenue N.W. — which had been dug to repair the feeder main — after backfilling the pipe, which is crucial to “securing it before we can reintroduce water and begin the re-pressurization process,” city general manager Michael Thompson said at the conference.

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Your questions about Calgary’s catastrophic water main break

We are finding answers to as many of your questions as we can regarding the water main break and restrictions impacting our lives.

Q: How did these issues go unnoticed until now?

A: City officials say the pipe was approximately halfway through its 100-year life cycle, and there was no reasonable expectation for it to fail or to require multiple inspections to ensure quality. During an April inspection, officials noticed areas in need of repairs, not deemed urgent, and had planned to complete the repairs later in the year when water requirement is not as high.

Gondek has announced that a review of the water event will take place following repairs to determine cause and accountability, and prevent future similar issues.

Q: Who is the city holding accountable for this massive failure and what is being done about other infrastructure built at the same time using the same methods?

A: When asked about accountability during a news briefing, the mayor responded by saying, “I can appreciate that Calgarians want answers about what happened, how it happened and who’s accountable. I will tell you that we are getting that information together as quickly as we can. It will be made available publicly, we intend to be fully transparent on this and there will absolutely be debriefs on any of the learnings that come out through the next few days.”

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The impending review will seek answers to questions about accountability.

Q: Will all restrictions end once water testing is complete?

A: The final stage of repairs, water testing, is expected to be complete on July 1. Initially, indoor restrictions will be lifted, said Gondek, but the outdoor ban will remain as the city gradually reintroduces full water service to residents to avoid overwhelming the pipes.

Read more.

35% of Quebec City residents under strict restrictions after major water main break

Some Quebec City residents will have to restrict their water consumption for at least 10 days as crews scramble to repair a major water supply pipe break.

On June 21, the city announced that a major drinking water supply pipe had broken near Rue de Chamerolles in the Les Rivières borough. Mayor Bruno Marchand told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that about 35 per cent of Quebec residents must conserve water while crew workers pinpoint the source of the break.

Repair work is expected to start Wednesday at 7 a.m. in the Les Rivières borough and last until July 5.

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June 28 updates: Final steps still on track for July 1 | Water use surpasses threshold | 16th Ave. now open | (10)

Mayor hints at faster fix of ruptured feeder main, but ‘concerned’ as water use continues to climb

The five “hot spots” in the ruptured water feeder main have been fixed, city officials announced Tuesday, as Calgary heads into the critical stage of filling the pipe with treated water and ensuring it is safe to drink.

“To be clear, the repair work is done,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said in a news conference — however, Calgary is still not in the clear.

While the city overcomes a major hurdle by mending the damage to its main pipe that carries drinking water to the rest of the city, the challenge it now faces is to bring the feeder main back into use through four stages: filling, flushing, testing and stabilizing.

Using a hockey reference, Gondek said: “We need to play the full 60 minutes, and right now we’re in the last five minutes of Game 7.”

Read more.

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