Calgarians continue to keep water consumption within the city’s target range as crews move ahead with work to connect the upgraded Bearspaw South Feeder Main.
Calgary and neighbouring communities have now recorded five consecutive days in the “green zone” with water use remaining below the city’s target of 500 million litres a day.
Water consumption was 482 million litres Friday, 483 million litres Saturday and 487 million litres Sunday.
The city says keeping demand below 500 million litres is important while the new feeder main is being connected, because there’s limits on how much water can be moved through the system during construction.
Lower consumption also ensures enough water is available for essential services and firefighting.
Crews spent the weekend preparing three sites along the feeder-main route, following work last week to safely shut down and drain the existing Bearspaw South Feeder Main.
The city said Monday that draining was on track to be completed that day and excavation had begun at some of the sites where the new pipe will be connected to the water system.
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Starting Thursday, crews are expected to work around the clock at the 89th Street N.W. site to connect the new feeder main. That work is expected to take about two weeks. Excavation was also scheduled to begin Monday along Parkdale Boulevard as part of repairs to sections of a smaller feeder main.
The city is warning residents to expect traffic impacts and pathway detours around construction areas and to stay away from work sites where possible.
Water restrictions are expected to remain in place for at least another three-and-a-half weeks while the connection work is completed.
Michael Thompson, Calgary’s water chief operating officer, said the city will bring the original feeder main back online once the work is finished, allowing restrictions to be lifted while crews commission the new pipe.
“What will happen once we’re done this work is we will turn on the original Bearspaw South Feeder Main again, we’ll pull ourselves out of restrictions,” Thompson said.
“Use that pipe to flow water while we commission the new pipe, and then mid-December we’ll transition over to that new pipe.”
The Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant remains in operation during the restrictions, supplying about 20 per cent of Calgary’s daily water needs, while the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant handles the remaining 80 per cent.
While the city’s immediate focus is completing the feeder-main twinning project, Thompson said planning is already underway for the next stage.
The city is in the design phase for another section of pipe that would run from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant to the tie-in point in Bowness.
The city’s next construction update is expected Thursday, Nov. 12.
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