June 2024 - Major Watermain Break on 16 Ave NW

Councillor Sharp has raised residents' concerns about the interconnected water system at the recent City Council meeting here. 

The non-operational Bearspaw south feedermain has led to changes in water routes across the entire City, which has subsequently affected all NW communities.

The broken pipe has caused significant changes in system pressure and flows, which water conservation efforts aim to manage.

A map of Public Water Mains and Pressure Zones is available on Open Data to illustrate the system's interconnectivity. Councillor Sharp encourages water conservation to ensure system reliability and function.

All Calgarians, including NW communities, must adhere to the Stage 4 Water Restrictions and practice water conservation during this time.

In declaring a Local State of Emergency, The City can now work with the Government of Alberta and private sector experts to discuss solutions to the ongoing crisis. The team of internal City of Calgary and external engineers have been working hard to determine solutions to this problem. They are actively looking at ways to speed the work up but not at the risk of public health, safety or material and resource quality. 

The City of Calgary announced that car washes, car dealerships, and car repair shops are required to stop using water for vehicle cleaning.

But for reference, indoor car washes recycle approximately 85% of their water, filtering out soaps, soils, and oils to make the water cleaner and reusable for subsequent washes.

The Calgary Stampede, along with other significant festivals, conferences, and events, will continue as scheduled, with added water conservation measures in place. 

City Administration worked with the Calgary Stampede to make this important decision, and reviewed the five-year daily water demand trend during Stampede Week, and it has been noted that there wasn’t a significant uptick in demand during past years. They note that this is because many Calgarians travel elsewhere during the month of July, so water usage balances out with visitors versus travelers. They also noted the weather trend that we often see heavy rainfall in early July, so outdoor watering decreases.  

The Calgary Stampede, as a non-profit organization, brought in about $143 million in gross revenue from its own activities last year and received another $7.7 million in grants from the provincial government. That's $150.7 million in total income, about half of which comes from the Stampede itself. They will be covering the cost of the imported water vehicles for this event. 

City Administration is working with the Calgary Hotel Association to prepare communications and regulations for visitors who arrive at hotels for the event. The industry has creative ideas and solutions to help tourists understand the situation that our city is in. Tourism Calgary is also supporting these efforts. 

Currently, there are no plans to provide non-potable water or reimbursement for citizens or businesses for any losses incurred due to the water restrictions.

Calgarians are encouraged to use rainwater collected in rain barrels or water obtained from a different jurisdiction not supplied by Calgary. Some landscaping companies are sourcing water from Cochrane or Okotoks to water existing planted materials. 

Please contact 311 so Bylaw Officers can investigate the situation. 

However, If you know your neighbour, please inform them about the outdoor water restrictions before contacting Bylaw.