The City of Calgary is urging Calgarians to take the current situation created by the Bearspaw water main feeder break as extremely serious and to take urgent action to reduce water consumption.
“Calgary’s water system is under significant strain,” said Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Susan Henry. “If we experience an unexpected event, our current consumption levels leave little room to respond. We are reminding Calgarians and our regional partners to help use less water.”
“Crews remain on the scene of the break and are making progress with repairs but water consumption has reached an unsustainable point for the second day in a row, putting our community at risk should an emergency occur,’ added Henry.
Henry said Calgarians used 514 million litres of water on Monday, well above the target zone of 485 million litres.
“We know this is not an ideal situation, but we are asking everyone to do what you can to reduce your water usage,” she said.
In a statement, the city said crews are making progress at the break site on 16 Ave. NW, with the affected piece of pipe removed and investigations are ongoing to determine the condition of the pipe on either side of the break.
“That work will continue into Wednesday and will inform future repairs to the existing pipe,” said Henry, adding there will be a water outage starting Wednesday morning, extending over two days that will directly impact 30 homes and one business in Bowness
“This interruption is required because crews will be conducting an inspection of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main in this area,” said Henry. “In order to enter the pipe and undertake this work safely, crews must first drain a section of the pipe and ensure it is safe for entry. The impacted homes are along 48 Ave. NW and 33 Ave. NW, as well as the Shane Homes West Soccer Dome.
“This inspection will not delay repair of the feeder main or our timeline for getting the pipe back in service,” said Henry. “We appreciate the added inconvenience and can assure you this inspection is necessary to better understand the condition of the feeder main.”
Specific information will be provided to the 30 homes and one business impacted on what to do after water is restored or they can contact 311 or visit calgary.ca/watermainbreak.
A single lane eastbound on 16 Ave. east from Sarcee Tr. has reopened, as has access to eastbound 16 Ave. from Sarcee Tr. However, westbound traffic along 16 Ave. between 49 St. and Sarcee Tr. remains closed.
In its statement, the city said its traffic management centre (TMC) is operating 24/7, “managing and responding to emergency roadway concerns 365 days a year. The TMC is actively keeping a close eye on roadway operations in the area along 16 Avenue NW as well as impacts on the neighbouring communities.”
“Our engineers are actively optimizing traffic signal timings to better accommodate the additional traffic volumes experienced by vehicles in these areas and our team is also continuously monitoring any additional obstructions (such as stalled vehicles, debris, or collisions), to respond immediately and minimize further disruptions to traffic.”
In another part of the city, Calgarians may see some hydrant-flushing in the area of 52 St. and Memorial Dr. SE as part of a separate water main repair project and not related to the Bearspaw Feeder Main repair. The flushing is critical for health and safety, said the city.
For up-to-date information about road closures and detours, please go to: https://www.calgary.ca/roads/conditions/traffic.html
