Road remains closed as crews work to repair Montgomery water main break

The City of Calgary's director of water services, Nancy Mackay,saysthe city is responding to slightlymore water main breaks than usualin the aftermath of the June 5Bearspaw south feeder main rupture.

"The number of main breaks we are responding to is a little bit higher right now than we'd normally see," Mackay said Saturday during a regular afternoon update on the ongoing water supply crisis.

It comes after a different water main on Bowness Road N.W. ruptured late Friday afternoon, triggering road closures.

According to the city's website,14 homes and 10 businesses were affected by the water service disruption as of Saturday morning, but repair work is in progress. That work isanticipated to take about 48 hours.

Mackay said on Saturday afternoon that water wagons have been placed on site for those in the affected area.

The rupture was not on the feeder main itself, nor was it impacting the flow of water through the feeder main, according to a news release the City of Calgary issued Friday evening.

"The break is located on a much smaller, 10-inch cast iron pipe that we have confirmed is not directly connected to the Bearspaw south feeder main," the release says.

WATCH | Director of water services discusses Friday's water main break:

City provides update on Calgary's water system

2 months ago

Duration 5:14

City officials provide update on the June 5 water feeder main rupture that affected Calgary's treated water supply.

During Saturday'supdate, Mackay confirmed that the impacted area of Bowness Road N.W.remains closed until it is safe to reopen.

"Water main breaks of this size are not unusual," said Mackay, adding that Calgary's water system is composed of roughly 15,000 kilometres of undergroundpipes.

However, she said the increase in water main breaks could be related to the original feeder main rupture that occurred in early June.

Mackay says when the Bearspaw south feeder main ruptured, the city needed to distribute drinking water through its system in different ways.

Thenonce the feeder main was brought back online, there were changes made to the direction of water and flow pressure increased in different areas.

"When changes like these are made, it is normal to experience a few additional breaks in pipes. We have teams ready to respond 24/7," said Mackay.

She says the city continues to make adjustments as work to stabilize Calgary's water system continues.

"We anticipate that we may see a few additional breaks as the system responds to the changes that we have been making to restore water flow."

Stage 1 decision expected Monday

Mackay also saidthat a decision on moving down toStage 1 outdoor water restrictions will come on Monday.

The cityeased outdoor water restrictions again earlier this week, moving from Stage 3 to Stage 2.

UnderStage 2 restrictions,residents are allowed to water gardens and lawns though not without some limitations.

Soaker hoses and in-ground sprinkling systems are allowed to be used for up to one hour only per week. Residents are also permitted to only water on certain days, depending on their address or, in the case of multi-unit buildings, their unit number.

The city remains under Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions as crews monitor how the water system responds to the easing of water conservation measuresfollowing the June 5rupture in the Bearspaw south feeder main.

WATCH | Calgary eases more outdoor water restrictions:

Good news for gardeners: Calgary eases more outdoor water restrictions

2 months ago

Duration 2:35

The City of Calgary took another step toward a fully functioning water system, as Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced the move to Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions. Under this stage, sprinklers and hoses can be used, but with some restrictions. Residents are asked to stick to one hour of sprinkler use per week during set days and times.

Calgary's water usage climbed to 612million litres of water on Friday.Mackaysayswaterusage is in line with the city's forecast for water use as outdoorrestrictions eased and hot conditions prevailed.