While a boil water advisory that had been issued last week for a northwest Calgary neighbourhood has now been lifted, the city continues to face water supply concerns as crews respond to a significant water main break that happened last week.
In a news release issued Monday night, Alberta Health Services said it had rescinded a boil water advisory that had been in place for the Bowness neighbourhood for several days.
“As water quality has been restored, the boil water advisory issued June 5, 2024, has been lifted, effective immediately,” the health authority said.
A water main break occurred in the Montgomery neighbourhood on Wednesday and resulted in the boil water advisory being issued for Bowness. As a result of the break, Calgarians were also asked to stop using water outdoors and do their best to minimize indoor water use.
City officials have described the broken feeder main as a “critical water transmission line.” They note the damage has “severely impacted” Calgary’s water supply and the ability to move water across the city and have warned that without conservation efforts from Calgarians, supply may not be able to meet demand.
In a news release issued late Monday afternoon, city officials said crews are “advancing on work to repair, … (the) large feeder main break.”
They said crews had already removed a section of damaged pipe, and the removal of two more was underway. They added that video was being reviewed to help understand the extent of the damage.
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A timeline for completing the repair and to lift the water restrictions is still being worked on.
“I want to thank the crews, engineers and other dedicated staff we have working 24/7 to repair the Bearspaw South Feedermain and restore normal water supply across our city,” said Nancy Mackay, the city’s water services director.
“We are very grateful to Calgarians and local businesses who have been so patient as we work on these repairs. Your actions to reduce water use are making it possible for us to do this critical work.”
Mackay is scheduled to speak at a news conference planned for 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday. She will be joined by Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Susan Henry, the chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
For the latest updates from the City of Calgary, you can follow the city’s social media channels or click on its website here.
For the latest Alberta Emergency Alerts, you can click on the province’s website here.
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