Hello Ward 8,
Nathan here with an update about the water restrictions beginning March 9 and expected to continue for approximately four weeks. This means that Stage 4 Water Restrictions are in effect. This includes Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore, and Tsuut’ina Nation.
Your support during this time is critically important for us to maintain safe service levels while we reinforce sections of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main to help stabilize the most vulnerable areas of the existing pipe until the new steel pipe is ready in December.
We’ve all been through a lot since the first break in June 2024 and I understand we may all be feeling some fatigue. I feel this too, and I want to continue open communication so we can get through this together.
This means we need to keep water usage below 500 million litres. Saving 25 litres of water per person, per day, makes a huge difference. Some steps you can take:
- Flushing toilets only when needed: each skipped flush saves nearly five litres of water
- Keeping showers to three minutes: each minute less saves about seven litres of water
- Running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads. Dishwashers use around 28 litres a cycle, and a front load washing machine uses 62 litres, so only running full loads can go a long way.
There may be times over the next four weeks where you see or hear things that cause confusion or concern. Please feel free to contact our office if you have questions and we will provide support and more information where possible.
One example I remember from the break back in January is car washes. Community members reached out to us through email and on social media saying “Hey, I’m doing my part but I see all these car washes are still operating, why is that?” I learned that most indoor car washes recycle up to 85% of their water and that they remained opened to ensure Calgarians could keep their windows, mirrors, and license plates clean to ensure their vehicles were safe to operate.
There may be other examples you see during the next four weeks and if you reach out, we will do our best to find the answer. Here are a few more examples from January of other businesses doing their part I received:
- Calgary International Airport took visible steps to conserve water, including turning off decorative water features, installing digital conservation reminders across the terminal, and sharing water saving guidance with all tenants.
- Companies like Refresco and Granite Gallery made significant changes to reduce water use. Refresco cut production by 65% while Granite Gallery shut down a machine for a 20% reduction.
- City and private Recreation Centres did their part to help Calgary conserve water. Steam rooms were closed, and wave pool and water slide hours had been adjusted to reduce water use.
- Eight beverage companies stepped up to reduce water use.
- Hockey Calgary, during the Esso Minor Hockey Week, reduced rink flooding at the younger levels of hockey and monitoring ice conditions and implementing ‘Dry Scrapes’ where possible to reduce the use of water.
The best thing we can all do over the next four weeks is stay up to date on water usage and the repair progress and read through the Frequently Asked Questions portion of the website.
Construction and system update
Crews have adjusted how water moves through Calgary’s drinking water system as the feeder main is out of service and are working around the clock to safely and reliably deliver drinking water.
As part of the shutdown:
- Pumps at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant have been shut down
- Valves have been closed to isolate the feeder main
- Crews are draining water from the pipe
Once the feeder main is fully depressurized, crews will begin excavating the pipe, with work expected to start March 10. After the pipe is exposed, crews will reinforce it with a steel cage and concrete casing. Construction will take place at all three work sites simultaneously.
Over the next four weeks, crews will reinforce nine sections of pipe, including six along 16 Avenue N.W. near Sarcee Trail and three at Point McKay Park. Additional feeder main work will also be completed during this time.
While work is underway, you may notice water draining near the construction area, increased operational activity as crews manage flows across the system and crews working at manholes and access points in Edworthy Park and the communities of Bowness, Montgomery and Parkdale. These are normal and necessary parts of the process. Please be respectful of our crews as they carry out this work as safely and efficiently as possible.
Please reach out to our office anytime at the contact information below.
All the best,
Nathaniel Schmidt
Ward 8 Calgary City Councillor
