The City of Calgary says residents will see water conservation measures in place for about a week as repairs continue on a burst water main.
The broken 78-inch feeder main, the source of the city’s water woes, was uncovered over the weekend, exposing a gaping hole in the pipe in the Montogomery/Bowness area.
It burst last Wednesday, affecting water services for thousands of homes.
While water has since been restored, officials say the city’s infrastructure isn’t able to keep up with demand and has asked for everyone to pitch in and reduce their water use.
Even residents outside Calgary, such as in Airdrie, Chestermere and Strathmore, are being asked to help out because those communities also use treated water from the city’s two main plants.
In an update on Sunday, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said residents have answered the call.
She said consumption on Wednesday was about 650 million litres of water.
As of Sunday, Calgary’s consumption was down to 440 million litres.
(Supplied/X/City of Calgary)
In addition to conducting repairs on the pipe, crews will be checking the feeder main for about 100 metres in each direction to check for any additional damage.
Water conservation rules for Calgarians
As of Monday, all residents in the city of Calgary are being told to maintain outdoor water restrictions, which means that homeowners and businesses should not water their lawns, gardens, flowers, trees or shrubs with municipal water sources.
Everyone should also refrain from washing the exterior of their homes and businesses, unless it is required for health and safety reasons.
So far, the city says it has handed out about 144 written warnings to Calgarians over improper water usage.
Indoor water restrictions are voluntary and include:
- Use dishwashers and washing machines only when required and when completely full;
- Limiting showers to three minutes or less and keeping baths shallow;
- Turn off humidifiers, ice machines and automatic sprinkler systems;
- Scrape plates clean instead of rinsing them;
- Wash vegetables in partially filled sinks and then rinse them quickly; and
- Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving.