Calgary retools pumps to ease some strain on water system, hands out 5 bylaw tickets

Calgary has seen an average of nearly 495 million litres going down the drain every day since the latest restrictions took effect on Aug. 26.

City officials say they have found a way to ease some of the strain on Calgary’s water system while a major pipe is again shut down for repairs.

But Michael Thompson, with the infrastructure services department, says that doesn’t change a ban on outdoor watering and a request to cut down on showers, toilet flushes, laundry and dishes.

Thompson says the city has determined that by retooling some pumps it can sustainably handle daily water use of 485 million litres during the roughly month-long water main outage.

That’s up from the 450 million litres it had previously been targeting but well below the 600 million litres the city typically consumes every day.

Calgary has seen an average of nearly 495 million litres going down the drain every day since the latest restrictions took effect on Aug. 26.

Thompson says bylaw officers handed out five tickets over the long weekend, with fines of $3,000 each, and there have been 755 complaints lodged against homes and businesses since the restrictions began.

“While it’s positive that we are able to move more water with our new configuration, it’s imperative that we do all we can to reduce our water use and have demand drop to more sustainable levels,” Thompson told a news conference Tuesday.

It’s the second round of rationing for Calgarians since the Bearspaw South Feeder Main burst in the city’s northwest in June.