City of Calgary officials announced Thursday that crews will complete the majority of repairs on 21 sections of Bearspaw’s southern main feeder line along 33rd Avenue and 16th Avenue NW.
“We will do these repairs first, followed by two more repairs to sections of pipe on Parkdale Boulevard and near Crowchild Trail,” Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services, told reporters.
“We have increased the number of pipe segments to be repaired because, in addition to the currently urgently needed repairs, there are other repairs pending that we are all carrying out simultaneously.”
Road excavation is scheduled to last from August 20 to 23. Repairs and Stage 4 water restrictions are scheduled to take place between August 26 and September 23. The city says that date is subject to change as crews perform repairs and visually inspect the line.
Once those repairs are completed, the two additional repairs will be made on Parkdale Boulevard between 26th and 27th streets and on Broadview Road near Crowchild Trail. According to the city, these additional repairs will not require citywide water conservation.
Thompson says because some sites involve multiple sections of pipe, there will be 16 to 18 excavation sites, but the exact number could change as workers uncover the pipes and assess their condition.
The planned excavation sites are located along 16th Avenue NW and 33rd Avenue NW and east of the Bow River Bridge adjacent to Shouldice Park with limited impacts to 16th Avenue NW, according to a city press release sent Thursday.
The number of 21 pipe segments to be repaired along 33rd and 16th avenues NW is more than the 16 segments previously reported, according to Thompson, based on further analysis of PipeDiver data collected as workers monitored the main’s return to service.
“While we are not in a state of emergency, recent data has shown that certain areas of the main line are at risk of failure. By addressing these issues, we can avoid an unplanned break, an outage that could disrupt our water supply,” said Nicole Newton, the city’s director of natural environment and adaptation, during Thursday’s water supply press conference.
“We need to complete these repairs within a certain timeframe to ensure Calgary’s water supply remains stable throughout the winter.”
Thursday’s announcement came after the city said Bearspaw’s south main – the city’s main treated water main – is in urgent need of further repairs after it ruptured on June 5.
As Calgary residents wait for the water service to be fully restored, many are asking: How did this critical piece of water infrastructure fail, and were there any signs of it? Video journalist Helen Pike examines what a catastrophic rupture means and how critical infrastructure buried underground is maintained.
As a result, the strictest Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions will return to effect on August 26. Calgary will continue to have citywide Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions in place until then.
During the repair phase, the city is asking all residents and businesses to reduce indoor water use.
“This is critical to ensure we have enough water for everyone during the repair phase,” Newton said.
A return to Level 4 means no more drinking water can be used outdoors. According to its website, the city will ask residents and businesses to limit water use by:
- Residents should limit showers to three minutes, avoid flushing the toilet if possible, and only wash full loads of dishes and laundry.
- Companies are asked to reduce their daily water consumption by 25 percent.
What residents and businesses can expect
City survey crews will be on site throughout Thursday, marking repair sites on the property above the main water line and indicating which areas will be affected by construction.
Thompson says residents may notice different colored street paint and small flags embedded in the ground wherever other utilities are marked.
He also added that while emergency responders may need to enter private property, such as front or back yards, they will not need to enter homes or businesses.
The city said teams will be out in communities in the coming days to reach those most affected by the construction work.
“They will establish a direct communication channel with Calgary residents, gather contact information and learn about any special household needs,” said a construction update sent via email Thursday.
The city expects impacts to the construction site between 78th and 87th Streets NW. Interested parties can sign up for email updates on construction via the city’s website.
Fiber optic surveillance system
The city will also install a new monitoring system inside the line to better understand its condition. The city also said workers will install fiber optic cables inside the line next week.
“As we prepare to repair the main line and proceed with the installation of the fiber optic cable, individual lane closures may be required to assist us in completing our work,” Thompson said.
“These small enclosures are necessary to help us safely complete the preparatory work and we thank you for your patience.”
