Most of the heavy work to repair the Bearspaw South Feeder Main break has been completed and water is being reintroduced into the repaired pipe, with Friday being targetted as the full completion date.
Traffic in the area will soon return to its regular flow, said Sue Henry, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
“Early this morning, eastbound 16 Ave. was fully reopened ahead of the morning commute,” said Henry, adding the road will reopen in phases.
“Right now, one lane is open, the right turn lane and curb land remain closed and crews will be back in the spring to complete a more permanent repair.”
Even as repair work winds down, some crews will remain on site.
“This increased presence of crews and emergency responders will be in place until approximately Friday,” said Henry.
“The protective measures such as the partial removal of the flood berm, installing barriers along the pathways, clearing catch basins, replacing manhole covers and having pumps ready to deploy in low lying areas is complete.”
Henry said water consumption dropped to 499 million litres on Tuesday.
"It’s a move in the right direction and I want to thank and acknowledge every Calgarian that is helping,” she said.
“We need your help just a little bit longer to conserve water as we get closer to having the Bearspaw feeder main in service. We will continue to keep you updated and look forward to lifting these restrictions very soon.”
Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services with the City of Calgary said water samples have been collected to test that they meet or exceed drinking water standards set by Alberta Health Services.
“I'm pleased to share that lab tests have confirmed that the water is safe to drink,’ said Thompson.
“This means we were able to begin the next steps to restore water service and eventually lift water restrictions. Last night we began the process to gradually reconnect to the larger water distribution network.”
Wednesday morning, pumps began gradually introducing water into the pipe.
“The system will require 24 hours to stabilize before advancing to the next phase Thursday morning,” said Thompson. “The system will require 24 hours to stabilize and then Friday morning we will turn on the final pump and returning the feeder main to service.”
Thompson added a caution.
“Returning the pipe to service is a delicate process and we can't guarantee there won't be another break, so we are proceeding very carefully and gradually to return this pipe to service safely,” he said. “If everything remains stable, we could lift restrictions by the end of the week.”
Thompson said Calgarians may notice their water appears cloudy, which will resolve over time.
“You may also experience a higher chlorine smell in your water for a short period of time,” he said. “Chlorine levels were increased during the filling of the feeder but please know the water is safe to drink.”
Mayor Farkas thanked Calgarians for reducing water use.
"You have helped protect our water system, and we need to work together just for a little bit longer,” said Farkas, adding stabilizing the system is “a significant step forward.”
“It tells us the repair is holding, the system is responding as expected and the work is progressing safely," he said. “We're still in uncharted territory, so we can't breathe easy until the new pipe is in the ground and online, but we are almost at the end of this chapter.”
"This is not just about getting water back in the pipe, it's about doing it right,” he added. “Filling and testing are critical to ensuring water quality and protecting the integrity of the system. We're going as fast as we can while still making sure we're doing it right and doing it safely.”
Farkas emphasized water conservation.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” he said. “Continued water conservation is still so important. Help support this next phase and reduce stress on the system.”