At this afternoon's water update, the City of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced that all five hot spots have now been excavated and cutting of existing pipe has begun. 

"There are three hot spots where we had existing parts in supply, and now that the two additional pieces have arrived from down south."

During the morning update, it was announced that the two pipes that were arriving from San Diego arrived in Calgary last night and that personnel had begun sandblasting and coating the pipe in order to get it ready for installation. It is expected that this work will take two to three days.

"Many other parts that we needed to couple the new pipes to the existing ones are also being fabricated locally," stated Gondek.

Once the repairs are complete, the next job on the checklist is to flush the feeder main pipe, and then test it. A plan to restore water services will be provided in the near future.

Gondek also shared that the workers who were hurt last week during the course of repair on the initial break, are now out of the hospital.

"On behalf of all Calgarians, I would like to thank both of those individuals for their efforts, and we wish them well in their recovery."

At the update, Deputy Chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Coby Duerr talked about reports of city crews being harassed, called names and filmed and photographed while out doing critical repair work.

"This behaviour is not okay. We have heard this happening when crews are performing necessary procedures where they must flush water from pipes. This may appear to be a wasteful use of water that might evoke an emotional response, but let me explain what is actually happening," stated Duerr. "While the city has prioritized reducing our water usage, we must continue practices that are necessary to meet regulatory standards for water quality, public health and safety and to maintain our water distribution system."

Duerr also shared that on-site construction sites will receive free non-potable water. He thanked the provincial government for their assistance with the program.

Water service restoration is anticipated to be on July 5, according to officials.

At this morning's update, it was announced that on Tuesday, the city of Calgary used 445 million litres of water, which was below the threshold for the fourth consecutive day. According to Gondek, Calgarians have saved approximately 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water.

Earlier this week it was announced that the Calgary Stampede will go on, despite the strong possibility that the prolonged water restrictions may continue into the Stampede.

The following traffic impacts will be in effect until the completion of the feeder main repairs according to the City of Calgary:

  • Westbound lanes along 16 Avenue NW from 49 Street NW to Home Road will remain closed. Eastbound lanes will be open.

As of June 17th, according to the City of Airdrie, the Genesis Place pool and aquatics facilities will remain closed up to and inclusive of July 1.

"Ice-arena activities resumed over the weekend. The water used to maintain the City’s ice arenas is being supplied from sources outside the Calgary water main break impacted region via a water truck," stated the City of Airdrie.

Under level four water restrictions, all outdoor water use is temporarily banned, and indoor water conservation is strongly encouraged. Under level four water restrictions, residents cannot:

  • Water lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs and flowers by any method other than rainwater.
  • 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.

No boil water advisories are 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:"

  • Use dishwasher and washing machine only when required and with full loads.
  • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving.
  • Limit showers to five minutes or less and keep baths shallow.
  • Scrape plates clean rather than rinsing food off.
  • Turn off humidifiers and ice machines, delay washing vehicles,
  • Businesses using large volumes of non-essential water, such as laundromats and car washes, are asked to reduce water use.
  • Businesses that use water to deliver a life-sustaining product or service for people and animals are exempt. Other exemptions include businesses using water to meet health code standards, such as health centres and restaurants.

"We thank residents for their cooperation in making temporary sacrifices to ensure that Airdrie and our surrounding communities have water for life-saving purposes," stated the city of Airdrie.

While a fire ban remains in place in both Airdrie and Calgary, on Monday, Rocky View County lifted its fire ban. An Alberta Emergency Alert advisory remains in place for Calgary, Airdrie, Strathmore, and Chestermere.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM

DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app. For breaking news, weather and contest alerts, click here.

Related Stories