Update: Critical water supply alert issued by Calgary

At 6:36 a.m. on Thursday, an Alberta Emergency Alert was sent out, alerting residents that The City of Calgary had issued a critical water supply alert.

"A water main break along 16 Avenue Northwest has impacted the city's water supply. Supply levels have reached a critical state, affecting the city's ability to provide water to communities and ensure adequate water is available to support emergency fire suppression," the alert stated.

This alert is in effect for the city of Calgary until further notice and impacts The City of Calgary. Shortly after an Alberta Emergency Alert was sent out, alerting residents that The City of Calgary had issued a critical water supply alert, City of Airdrie officials responded.

"Airdrie is currently under level 4 outdoor water restrictions due to an extensive water main break in Calgary," the City said. "The water main break in northwest Calgary is affecting the water supply to Calgary and surrounding communities, including Airdrie. Residents in all of these communities are asked to immediately stop outdoor water usage outdoors."

At this time do not:

Water lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs by any method.
Wash down any outdoor surfaces, including exterior building surfaces, windows, sidewalks, driveways, or walkways of any sort unless your business requires them to for health and safety reasons.
Wash cars on driveways or streets.
Fill outdoor decorative features, fountains, pools, or hot tubs.
Use potable water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction, or dust control.

"Please note that the City of Airdrie is suspending bulk water sales effective immediately. Residents are also strongly encouraged to follow indoor water conservation."

However, the City stressed that there are no boil water advisories in effect within the City of Airdrie and water remains safe to drink.

"To ensure we share the water currently available, we are asking Airdrie residents to immediately restrict indoor water use by taking the following voluntary actions [including], using their dishwasher and washing machine only when required and with full loads, turning off the tap when brushing teeth or shaving, and limiting showers to five minutes or less and keeping baths shallow."

Other tips include:

Scraping plates clean rather than rinsing food off.
Turning off humidifiers and ice machines, delaying washing vehicles, filling hot tubs, and swimming pools
Businesses using large volumes of non-essential water, such as laundromats and car washes, are being asked to reduce water use.
Businesses using water to deliver a product or service that is life-sustaining for people and animals are exempt. Other exemptions include any businesses that must use water to meet health code standards, such as health centres and restaurants.

All residents and businesses must conserve water; they can't shower or bath, wash dishes, or run appliances that use water. The alert follows an extensive water main break in the Bowness area of Calgary that occurred yesterday evening.

"This is a significant break on one of the critical transmission lines (called a feeder main) that enables us to move water across the city. It has caused water outages in Bowness and is impacting water pressure in several other areas, including the communities of Parkdale, West Hillhurst, Hillhurst and Scarboro," The City of Calgary stated on its website.

A boil water advisory is in place for Bowness, along with mandatory outdoor water restrictions, and voluntary indoor water restrictions, and there are traffic impacts to the area. All residents and businesses in Bowness are advised to bring all tap water to a rolling boil for one full minute before any consumption, including drinking, brushing teeth, cleaning raw foods, preparing infant formula or juices, and making ice. This advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

"The City of Calgary is working closely with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and Alberta Health Services to resolve the water quality concerns. Water in all other communities remains safe to drink, however, the incident is impacting our ability to deliver drinking water across the city. "

Other restrictions include a city-wide restriction for the entire city.

"All outdoor water use is temporarily banned under Stage 4 Water Restrictions," The City of Calgary stated.

Residents are asked to not:

Water lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs by any method.
Wash down any outdoor surfaces, including exterior building surfaces, windows, sidewalks, driveways, or walkways of any sort unless your business requires them to for health and safety reasons.
Fill outdoor decorative features, fountains, pools, or hot tubs.
Use water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction, or dust control.

Voluntary water restrictions include:

Delay using dishwashers and washing machines
Limiting shower times and keeping baths shallow
Turning off humidifiers and ice machines
Turn off water taps when not in use

"Businesses using large volumes of non-essential water, such as laundromats and car washes, are being asked to reduce water use. Businesses using water to deliver a product or service that is life-sustaining for people, animals and plants are exempt. Other exemptions include any businesses that must use water to meet health code standards, such as hospitals and restaurants."

Currently, 16 Avenue Northwest is closed to traffic and pedestrians in both directions, between Home Road and Sarcee Trail.

"Calgarians are encouraged to avoid the impacted area around 16 Ave. and Home Rd. N.W. and to plan some extra time around their commute, as there will be traffic impacts as a result of this incident. Calgarians can use alternate routes, such as Crowchild Trail, 29 Street Northwest and Home Road to the east, or Stoney Trail and Sarcee Trail to the west."

Motorists can expect significant delays. Crews are on the scene and working to repair the break as quickly as possible.

"Currently, we do not have an estimate for how long voluntary reductions will be necessary. This issue is temporary, and our crews are working 24/7 to complete the necessary repair work and get the feeder main back in service.," The City added.

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