On behalf of Water Services and The City of Calgary, here is an update on the critical repairs to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main:
We want to take a moment to thank every one of you for your contributions and sacrifices these past several months as we completed critical repairs to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.
In June, our city and surrounding neighbours woke up to the news of a catastrophic break in a feeder main that we count on to deliver water to the majority of the city. Throughout the various stages of repairs, we needed everyone to save water. In the spirit of community, you answered the call, so that Calgarians and our neighbours would continue to have access to safe drinking water.
Because of you, we got the job done. We’re pleased to announce the Bearspaw South Feeder Main is fully back in service. As a result, all water restrictions are lifted and normal indoor and outdoor water use can resume. This is a major milestone, and we couldn’t have reached it without the cooperation of businesses, industries, and residents across the city and surrounding municipalities including Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore, and Tsuut’ina Nation.
Amid these challenges, we’ve been truly inspired by the innovation and collaboration from so many businesses, finding new ways to conserve water while partnering with The City. We are incredibly grateful for your commitment, creativity, and resilience throughout this period and encourage you to consider continuing with these water savings practices, where you can.
We understand that industries such as irrigation, landscaping, nurseries, and construction were significantly affected by the outdoor watering restrictions. We recognize that these challenges have had real impacts on people’s livelihoods. The sacrifices made by businesses and workers during this time have not gone unnoticed.
As we move into the recovery phase, The City will continue to work with businesses and the community to ensure that the innovations and lessons learned sparked by these recent challenges continue to benefit our city for years to come.
If you’ve been helping share messaging around the restrictions, thank you! With the water restrictions now lifted, we encourage you to update your communications. Attached is a digital image that you’re welcome to share on your social media accounts. Please help us to pass along our deep appreciation for everyone’s cooperation.
Once again, thank you. We’ve demonstrated how we can come together to overcome challenges and help strengthen our city’s resilience for the future.
Upcoming
· River water pick-up locations for commercial and residential customers will be permanently closing Sunday evening at 7 p.m.
· Most bulk water stations have reopened to commercial customers. The location at Fire Hall #21 on Silvergrove Drive remains closed until September 30 for construction.
· We continue to progress with the final stages of our construction. 33rd Avenue NW east of 83rd Street will open mid-to late next week. 33rd Ave Northwest east of 83rd Street is now open. Along 16th Avenue NW, intermittent lane closures are in place as needed to complete concrete curb work and to bring the feeder main back into service.
· As we shared in August, we have two additional sections of pipe to repair in October and November. These are on a narrower section of the pipe, further east along Memorial Drive in Parkdale. These repairs are much smaller in scope and are in a location we can isolate while keeping some key sections of the feeder main running. As a result, there will be no city-wide water restrictions needed while we perform this work.
Looking ahead
· City administration engaged consultants who have been working on a detailed forensics report. This will include fulsome results from the PipeDiver, and soil and structural analysis of the pipe. We anticipate a final report being shared with City Council later this Fall.
· City administration will also be receiving a report back from our contractor in the coming weeks with recommendations to support the development of our medium and long-term plans for the pipe. Once we have reviewed the recommendations and factored in our own findings and lessons learned, we will share the next steps with the public.
· These reports are separate from the independent, third-party review of the incident, which is ongoing.
· We are working on plans to increase redundancy in our water distribution system. This includes developing a new North Feeder Main and South Feeder Main. We are currently in the design phase of the North Calgary Water Servicing Project and plan to start construction next year. Both projects will be delivered in phases over eight years.
· Redundancy is an important next step in the long-term rehabilitation of the feeder main as it will allow us to take the existing feeder main out of service while limiting the impacts to Calgarians and our customers. It also ensures we continue to provide clean, safe drinking water to Calgarians while meeting the demands of our growing city.
Resources
· Visit calgary.ca/savewater for up-to-date information.
· Visit Feeder main repair – Construction updates (calgary.ca) for construction updates.
· Find responses to our most asked questions at Frequently Asked Questions, including questions about ongoing construction activities, repair work and Calgary’s water distribution network.
The importance of our water supply and our water system overall has been highlighted over the last four months. Now that we have addressed these urgent repairs and have significantly reduced our risk of another catastrophic break, we are moving towards realizing our mid- to long-term plans for the system.
With the lifting of water restrictions, this concludes our weekly updates. If you have questions, please direct them to your existing contacts at The City.