Calgary's water crisis is coming closer to the end.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said normal indoor water usage can restart in the city. However, Gondek said outdoor water usage continues to be restricted.

“And we look forward to slowly restoring outdoor water use as we continue to monitor the system’s stabilization process,” said Gondek at a Tuesday press conference.

“A quick overview of what occurred yesterday to allow us to return to regular indoor water usage today.”

The first reason was the City of Calgary had three crews working on Monday to flush water from hydrants to reduce cloudiness. The second reason was with production increasing at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant, the City of Calgary could perform maintenance needed at the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant.

While the feeder main had been damaged, it had been brought up to 50% capacity and continues to be stabilized by listening to irregularities and measuring pressure changes.

She said she was in awe for all of the work Calgary has done. For almost one month, she said it had gone above and beyond to keep water usage low, ensured it had safe drinking water, and maintained an emergency supply for firefighters, doctors, and nurses.

She thanked Bowness residents for carrying an extra burden at the beginning of the water crisis. In Bowness, she said she “felt the impact as I spoke with you, and your community spirit fired me up to push for better and faster solutions to this crisis.”

She said she was thankful to the crews at the Emergency Operations Centre and the Water Tactical Operations Centre. During the water crisis, she said the crews worked day and night to get the water feeder main fixed, water flow restored, and information out to the public.

When Calgary learned it needed to repair more of the pipe than the break, she said several people stepped up to expedite repairs. Some of these people were Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver and the oil and gas community.

To all of the contactors, tradespeople, and organizations that made themselves available, she said they could not have done this without them. She praised San Diego and the people and businesses in Calgary who lended their voices to watersaving efforts.

Gondek concluded by saying some times it “takes a crisis to remind us how much we can accomplish if communities, elected officials, and governments work together.” She said she was reminded of the strength of these partnerships in the last few weeks.

McIver said he was relived the water main has been fixed.

“In times of crisis, the strengths of partnerships become evident,” he said.

“The recent water infrastructure incident in Bowness served as a stark reminder of this.”

From the onset, he pointed out Gondek reached out to he and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and kept them updated. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency maintained constant communication with the government.

City of Calgary Infrastructure Services General Manager Michael Thompson said this is an exciting milestone after almost one month of Calgarians practicing water conservation efforts.

“Just as we are easing into lifting restrictions, we need Calgarians to ease into their water use within their homes,” said Thompson.

“The Bearspaw south feeder main is now back in service for the first time since June the 5th.”

The feeder main will operate at 50% capacity as it continues to stabilize the system and reduce the demand on the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant. Thompson said it needs Calgarians’ support to avoid putting too much strain on the system.

Gondek followed up by saying her top priority will be collecting all of the information the City of Calgary needs about how much money was used on the water crisis.

“I know that Chief Sue Henry and her team are tracking all of those expenses,” she said.

“Once we have that number, we will look at what resources we have available right now.”

She said more information will become available in the coming days.

Henry said on Friday she was concerned about Calgary’s water usage reaching 500 million litres on Thursday — the highest point since the crisis began.

While a small portion of the increase can be attributed to filling the feeder main, Henry said it “is imperative to emphasize the system providing water to Calgary remains at risk.”

“We are currently in a vulnerable state,” she said.

CMS: Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is a disgrace

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