Critical water main break

• We are currently in Stage 1 Outdoor Water Restrictions.  
• In early June, while repairs were being completed to the initial break on the feeder main, we used a robotic device to scan approximately 4.3 kilometres of the pipe that was drained of water.
• This scan identified five “hot spots” – segments of the pipe that needed urgent repair before we could refill them with water.
• In late June, after the repairs were made and the pipe was brought back into service, we used another device called a PipeDiver, to scan the entire length of the feeder main, including approximately six kilometres that had not been scanned initially.

At the end of July, we began receiving results from the PipeDiver scan.

• After analyzing these results, we now know that there are several other segments of the pipe that cannot wait for a medium or long-term plan.
• As a result, we need to make urgent repairs to these segments to address the risk of another unexpected break.
• These repairs will begin on August 26, and will continue until the end of September.
• The majority of the work will be along a section of 33 Avenue N.W. and 16 Ave N.W. however, the exact number and locations of repair are still being confirmed and will be communicated in the coming days.
• In order to conduct these urgent repairs, we will need to again shut down the Bearspaw South Feeder Main and stop the flow of water through it.  

As a result, during the repair period from August 26 to the end of September, we will need to once again ask Calgarians to take steps to conserve water to make sure we have enough for urgent needs. This will include: 

• A return to Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions, meaning no outdoor use of potable water.
• We will be asking residents to take three specific actions:
  • Limit showers to three minutes
  • Skip flushes when you can
  • Only wash full loads of dishes and laundry. 
• Businesses use water in different ways, so we will again be asking them to find ways to aim for a 25 per cent reduction in daily water during the period of the closure.
  • We do not intend to close car washes, indoor pools, or other businesses during this time.
  • We are making these urgent repairs through the reinforced concrete encasement method, which includes exposing the pipe through excavation, building an exterior reinforcing steel cage, pouring concrete, and then backfilling the excavation. 

• Aug. 15: Crews will begin surveying to determine the exact locations where the pipe will be repaired. This will take one to two days to complete.
• We’re carefully evaluating the repair work required to understand the impacts on the communities where construction will occur and the rest of Calgary. This includes vehicle, pedestrian and wheeling traffic, parking, accessibility to driveways, alleys and laneways, waste collection, mail and delivery services, transit routes, emergency access and noise.