Water restrictions return to Calgary and area on Monday for four weeks, while reinforcement of the Bearspaw South Main Feeder (BSFM) gets into high gear on the weekend.
Crews will begin reinforcing nine pipe segments on Saturday, six along 16 Ave. N.W. near Sarcee Tr. and three at Point McKay Park, which will have an impact on traffic patterns, said Michael Thompson the City of Calgary’s general essential services manager.
“Saturday morning, lane reductions will be in place on 16 Ave. N.W. near the Sarcee Tr. interchange, along with full closures of the exit ramp from 16 Ave. to Sarcee Tr. and the exit from Sarcee Tr. to westbound 16 Ave.,” said Thompson. “Westbound 16 Ave. will remain open, though travel times may be longer. Drivers heading west are encouraged to plan ahead.”
Crews will shut down water flow through the feeder main on Monday and begin draining the water from it.
“People may see water being released to the river and are reminded that this is a necessary step before construction can begin,” said Thompson. “The city will be monitoring water quality in the river to avoid impacts to the environment, as part of regulatory requirements.”
With the feeder main out of service, the city will not be able to supply water at normal levels to Calgary or neighbouring communities, including Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore and Tsuut’ina Nation.
"During the shutdown, we are asking all community members to take action to save 25 litres of water a day,” said Thompson. “
This is a moment for Calgarians to pull together and the actions we each take to save 25 litres a day will keep our community safe. This weekend, it’s time to get ready and Calgarians are encouraged to take the next few days to prepare, place reminder notes about restrictions in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms, and to begin saving water at home and at work starting Monday morning.”
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he understands how Calgarians feel about the water restrictions.
“I know it is frustrating to hear once again that we will need to make changes to our day-to-day routines, I want to remind Calgarians of the small steps that will help us get through the next month,” said Farkas.
“That means limiting your showers to three minutes or less, reducing how often you flush and running your dishwasher and washing machine only when loads are full, and being mindful of your overall water use.”
The water system is still very fragile, added Farkas.
“I want to be clear, even though we are taking these proactive measures now and again later this fall, that does not mean we’re completely out of the woods,” he said. “This pipe, as has been said before, is terminally ill and frankly, another segment could fail at any moment. So, these planned shutdowns may not be the only instance where we have to deal with this challenge as a city.”
“But if we all work together, we’ll get through this.”