Update September 19: Bearspaw South Feeder Main repairs

Filling the feeder main continues to go well and we expect to finish later today.

After filling is complete, we will perform testing to make sure water quality meets or exceeds all quality safety standards. This step will take approximately 24 hours.

Once we've confirmed the water is safe, we will move to stabilizing the system, including opening valves to reconnect the feeder main to the larger water distribution network.

After all these steps are complete, we can lift water restrictions. Based on our progress so far, we expect this will happen sometime Sunday.

We will also be closing our non-potable water pick up locations for commercial and residential use once water restrictions are lifted.

Fill test stabilize

Water testing

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working with The City of Calgary and Alberta Environment & Protected Areas (EPA) to make sure that Calgary's drinking water remains safe and meets or exceeds provincial and federal standards.

AHS has been working with The City and EPA to monitor water quality through each step of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main repairs to develop a filling and testing plan that ensures our water is safe to drink and poses no risk to public health.

So far, early tests during the construction phase of the repairs show no contamination, meaning nothing harmful has entered the pipe. To keep the water safe and ensure adequate disinfection of the pipe, the water used for filling the feeder main has elevated chlorine levels.

Water samples are being taken at different times and locations along the pipe during and after filling to test for turbidity (how clear the water is), residual chlorine (to ensure adequate disinfection) and harmful bacteria. These samples will be tested at The City of Calgary’s Water Lab and reviewed by AHS and EPA.

“The priority during the filling and testing stages is to ensure water is safe to consume, and there is no impact to public health prior to returning the feeder main to service” says Dr. Franco Rizzuti, Medical Health Officer with Alberta Health Services.

The feeder main will only return to service if all the water quality tests meet or exceed the safety standards set by AHS, EPA and The City of Calgary. If the water doesn’t meet these standards, further testing and work will have to take place prior to returning the feeder main to service.

Water use

Yesterday’s water use was 489 million litres, which includes the approximately 7 million litres we used to fill the feeder main. This means our water usage is within a sustainable range and we sincerely appreciate your efforts to save water—it has played an important role in keeping our plants operational.

Demand Graphic 2024-09-19

Construction update

We continue to progress well with the final stages of our construction.

24-0041337 - CRV-31507 - EMCS FMBRR Phase 2 - Work Area Map DTB_Site 2-3-4-6-7-8_1440x1080_for AVAIL Sept 19

Sites 1 and 5 along 33 Avenue N.W. will be paved on Saturday, however that work is weather dependent.

33 Avenue N.W. west of 83 Street N.W. will open mid to late next week, but the east section of 83 Street N.W. is now open.

Along 16 Avenue N.W. there are intermittent lane closures in place as needed to complete curb work and to bring the feeder main back into service.

Next steps

Phase two of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main repairs will take place in October/November along the Bow River Pathway near 26 Street N.W. and Parkdale Boulevard N.W. There are two pipe segments requiring repair in this area. No water restrictions are expected for Calgarians during this phase.

In the coming weeks, crews will be in the area identifying the exact locations for pipe repairs by marking underground infrastructure with paint and small flags in the ground. This will help us identify specific work sites and develop our construction plan. In some cases, crews may need to access private property from the outside but won’t need to enter inside homes and businesses.

More information will be shared once surveying is complete and our construction plans are finalized. We are applying lessons learned from previous work to minimize impacts to businesses and residents in the area as much as possible.

We are so close to the end, and we are asking everyone to keep up their water saving efforts in these final days until the feeder main is back in service. Your efforts make a big difference as we work to ensure a reliable water system for everyone. For the latest updates, water saving tips and to sign up to receive email updates about construction, visit calgary.ca/savewater.