Decision on moving Calgary down to Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions expected Monday morning
1 new wire snap detected along Bearspaw south feeder main, city says
A decision to further ease outdoor water-use restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1 will be made on Monday morning, according to Calgary's director of water services Nancy Mackay.
During a regular Sunday afternoon update, Mackay said Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Michael Thompson, the city's general manager of infrastructure services, will be providing Calgarians with an update on restrictions at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
The city remains under Stage 2 restrictions following the rupture of the Bearspaw south feeder main on June 5 that left Calgary in a water supply crisis.
Earlier this week, the city gradually eased outdoor water restrictions again, moving from Stage 3 to Stage 2.
The city remains under Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions as crews monitor how the city's water system will respond to the easing of water conservation measures.
Under the current stage of restrictions, people can now water gardens and lawns, though not without some limitations. Residents using sprinklers must follow a watering schedule, and full details on the city's guidelines for outdoor watering can be found here.
Montgomery water main repairs expected to finish later Sunday
Late Friday afternoon, a different water main on Bowness Road N.W. ruptured, resulting in the closure of Bowness Road N.W. between 51st Street and Home Road.
Mackay says the affected portion of Bowness Road remains closed in both directions as of Sunday afternoon. It will not be reopened until it is safe to do so, she said.
According to the city's website, 14 homes and 10 businesses were affected by the water service disruption.
As of Sunday afternoon, the city says repair work on the pipe is complete and water service has been restored.
A news release from the City of Calgary sent on Sunday noted that the new rupture was not on the feeder main itself, nor was it impacting the flow of water through the feeder main.
"The recent break is not directly related to the Bearspaw south feeder Main and is on a smaller 10-inch cast iron pipe nearby. Water main breaks of this size are not unusual," reads the release.
Mackay echoed the message from the release during Sunday's update, saying that Friday's incident does not impact the city's ability to meet Calgary's current water demand.
Calgary's water usage climbed to 641 million litres of water on Saturday — up from the 612 million litres used Friday. Mackay says the increase is in line with what the city forecasted for water demand.
5 total wire snaps
Monitoring devices along the Bearspaw south feeder main have detected another new wire snap along the pipe since easing restrictions, bringing the total to five individual snapped wires, Mackay said.
"This snap does not mean that another break in the critical feeder main is imminent," she said.
"However, it does mean that our continued monitoring remains important as we ... consider increasing flow of water in that feeder main."
Water is currently flowing through the pipe at 70 per cent of its maximum speed.