Our teams have begun initial construction on 33 Avenue NW between 78 Street and 87 Street NW. We are aware of the concerns of residents and businesses in the area and have been actively working with the community to address issues related to noise, parking and pedestrian access. We are hosting an impromptu session this week where members of the local community can answer questions and provide information on construction details and impacts in their area.
We are committed to keeping all Calgarians informed of construction progress through clear and regular updates. We know the upcoming water restrictions and impacts of construction will be challenging for everyone, especially those who live and work near the repair sites.
Construction update
Construction is underway on 33 Avenue NW, with major activities scheduled to begin Monday.
The first phase of construction at 33 Avenue NW includes three key steps.
- Preparation of the construction site: This work includes marking the road, assembling heavy equipment and machinery on site, erecting fencing and setting up necessary road closures.
- Saws: Our crews have begun sawing out sections of the sidewalk on 33 Avenue NW. This is the first step in the excavation process to expose the main service line.
- Excavation: This step will involve removing sections of road and material below ground to expose the main line, starting August 27. At the same time, we will be releasing the pressure in the main line.
Repairs to the main service line in Shouldice Park will also begin later next week. The work in Shouldice Park will not impact traffic on 16 Avenue NW. However, there may be temporary delays on Montseraat Drive, which is directly adjacent to the repair site.
As always, we are asking Calgary residents to stay away from the construction site and allow our crews to perform their work safely.
Road closures
To ensure a safe construction environment for workers, sections of 33 Avenue NW between 76 Street NW and 87 Street NW will be closed. In addition, we have closed the right westbound lane of 16 Avenue NW near 43 Street NW to prepare for upcoming repairs to the main access road in that area. This lane closure is a precautionary measure before actual repairs begin.
We can now announce the exact repair dates and approximate construction locations, which will occur along 33 Avenue NW between 78 Street NW and 87 Street NW and in Shouldice Park.
In the maps attached above, the blue line is the main line. The pink boxes show the exact repair locations. The orange boxes mark the approximate locations of the construction sites. Construction of the fences around the construction sites will begin on Sunday 25 August. Click on the maps above for a larger version.
Residents and community members in the affected areas will receive more detailed maps. The maps will be updated regularly and will also be available on calgary.ca later this week.
No impact of the rail strike on supplies
Due to the recent rail strike, we have heard concerns about whether it will affect the main line repairs, particularly with regards to supplies. Fortunately, the City of Calgary is well prepared. We have an adequate supply of chemicals needed for water treatment, including a large supply of chlorine and other essential materials.
We have several contracts with chemical suppliers for our water treatment plants. In addition, we purchase the raw materials to produce our own chlorine on site. These ingredients are manufactured in the province and delivered by truck.
As a precautionary measure, we are actively monitoring our supply levels and taking on additional stocks where necessary. Potential long-term impacts are being addressed through our Supply Chain Resilience Strategy, which includes working directly with our suppliers to ensure supplies. We therefore do not expect the rail strike to cause any immediate disruption to us.
Water reduction strategies for companies
Today we heard from Andrew Bullied, Director of Operations at Annex Ale, on behalf of the Alberta Small Brewers Association, about the recommended water reduction guidelines for Calgary small breweries.
Brewing beer and other beverages typically requires a lot of water. Annex Ale, for example, typically uses around 5.5 litres of water for every litre of beer they produce. However, by implementing water-saving measures such as reusing rinse water and limiting certain filtering processes, they were able to reduce their water use to 3.5 litres per litre of beer, a 36% reduction. This saved them around 90,000 litres of water during the first round of Level 4 outdoor water restrictions.
Water reduction efforts are not only important for breweries; they also provide valuable lessons for other local businesses. We ask businesses, especially those with high water usage, to help us protect our water supply.
We recommend providing water saving tips to employees and customers and providing posters that can be downloaded, printed and displayed in areas where water is used. Visit calgary.ca/savewateratwork to download a copy and get more information on how businesses can prepare.
We will continue to meet with companies to find out how we can best support their operations during repair work.
We will also open our service water stations so that residents and businesses can draw river water for commercial and domestic use free of charge. For more information on locations and opening times, visit calgary.ca if available.
Level 4: Restrictions on outdoor water use
From Monday 26 August we will be returning to Level 4 outdoor watering restrictions, meaning all outdoor watering is prohibited.
We encourage Calgary residents to also reduce their indoor water use by taking the following steps:
- Limit your laundry to the bare essentials and full loads
- Only run your dishwasher when it is full
- Limit showering to three minutes and, if possible, avoid showering for a day.
- Limit flushing to cases where it is absolutely necessary.
We know the ongoing water restrictions in place since June 5 are challenging for everyone – residents, businesses, industry and our regional partners. Your cooperation is critical as we make these important repairs to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main and we sincerely appreciate your support.
