Calgary water restrictions end as feeder main comes back online

The Bearspaw south feeder main has been reconnected to Calgary's water distribution system, city reservoirs have been filled and all water use restrictions have been lifted, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said at a news conference Sunday morning.

Outdoor water restrictions have been in effect since the feeder main, which distributes most of Calgary's treated water, was shut down at the end of August for additional, urgent repairs following its rupture on June 5.

Since that rupture, Calgary — and the surrounding communities that depend on its water supply — have been moving through various levels of water restrictions. 

"This is the day we have all been waiting for," said the city's director of capital priorities and investment Francois Bouchart.

While the latest repairs were being done, the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant was producing approximately 70 per cent of Calgary's water supply, far more than the 30 per cent it typically handles at this time of year. To ease stress on the Glenmore plant, the city imposed Stage 4 outdoor water use restrictions, which prohibit the use of sprinklers and garden hoses. The city also asked residents to curb indoor water use by 25 per cent.

While all restrictions have now been lifted, Bouchart asked Calgarians to "ease back" into regular water use, spacing things out over the next few days to lessen the pressure on the system.

He said testing will continue on the feeder main while the city moves on to drawing up mid- and long-term plans for the water system. Both internal and independent reviews have begun, examining the causes of the catastrophic feeder main break in June and developing maintenance plans for the water distribution system.

"My job as mayor doesn't end with the return to service of the Bearspaw south feeder main," Gondek said. "I look forward to receiving the reports from the internal review and the independent, third-party review, and sharing them with Calgarians and with other orders of government."

Gondek, Bouchart and city's chief administrative officer, David Duckworth, thanked Calgarians and local business owners for their conservation efforts and patience. Particular thanks was directed to the businesses in the communities of Bowness and Montgomery, which were directly affected the water restrictions and construction work on the feeder main.

When asked if the city would be providing compensation to any of those businesses, Bouchart said the city has contacted affected business owners to understand the impacts. He said recommendations about compensation will be coming forward at a future date.

Duckworth said the city estimates the cost of repairing the original feeder main break in June was between $20 million and $25 million. Final figures are not in for the latest repairs, but he said it is estimated it will be somewhere between $15 million and $20 million.