Calgary water use bumps up as city nears end of restrictions

Calgary water usage on Sunday bumped back up into the "yellow" or "strained" zone, as the city approaches an expected end to water restrictions next weekend.

Calgarians used 489 million litres of water on Sunday, raising the daily usage above the sustainability threshold of 485 million litres.

"We have less than a week to keep up our water restriction efforts before we have normal water service again," said Francois Bouchart, director of capital priorities and investment. "For now, please continue to take steps to save water inside and avoid outdoor water use. We're almost there."

The Bearspaw feeder main, a critical piece of infrastructure to distribute most of Calgary's water, is out of service. The Glenmore Water Treatment Plant is producing approximately 70 per cent of Calgary's water supply, much more than the 30 per cent it typically handles at this time of year.

Keeping water usage at 485 million litres or below in Calgary means the Glenmore plant can be operated safely without any undue strain on the system.

Bouchart said the city anticipates to begin filling the Bearspaw feeder main on Tuesday morning, which is the first step to bring the feeder main back into service. He added that this will likely take three days to compete. Once the feeder main has been filled, the city will test to ensure water quality meets or exceeds all safety and quality standards. 

When the water is confirmed to be safe, the city will move to stabilize the system. Once these steps are completed, the city will lift water restrictions.

As the city fills the Bearspaw feeder main, it expects daily water use will rise around seven million litres per day, as 22 million litres are needed to fill the pipe. The water will come from the Bearspaw plant.

Bouchart added that Calgary is in the final stages of construction work to repair the Bearspaw feeder main.

On Sunday, 16th Avenue N.W. reopened one day earlier than planned, with the exception of some temporary lane closures near 43rd Street.

Construction crews also moved to daytime-only shifts on Sunday. Construction is continuing at several sites on 33rd Avenue N.W., but the city expects to reopen the avenue between 83rd Street and 87th Street later this week.