Calgary water emergency could take a week to be repaired, city officials say
It could take crews roughly one week to repair a massive water main break that has forced Calgarians across the city to conserve water use, according to the city’s manager of drinking water distribution.
Emergency officials held a press conference Saturday afternoon to provide an update on the water issue that first arose Wednesday night.
Chris Houston told reporters that repair crews have been working around the clock to repair the water main.
He said staff continued to pump water away from the site to determine what needs to be repaired. They are also preparing the feeder main for inspection to determine how the water main broke.
Houston said the city usually produces 500 megalitres of water each day but is currently producing 130 megalitres.
“We just want Calgarians to be prepared and understand that it still will take some time to get this back in service,” Houston said, adding there are still many unknowns.
“We want to ensure that we take time to do this right. If everything goes really well, we’re looking at least another five to seven days before the situation is resolved.”
The water supply concerns were triggered Wednesday night by a massive water main break in the Montgomery neighbourhood in northwest Calgary, which spurred a boil water advisory for residents of Bowness.
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.
Nancy Mackay, the City of Calgary’s water services director, said crews were able to pump treated drinking water to underground reservoirs overnight, putting Calgary’s supply in a “more sustainable position.”
On Friday, water use dropped to
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