Calgary staying in Stage 1 water use restrictions, new wire snap detected Sunday

The City of Calgary says it's sticking toStage 1 outdoor water use restrictions for the time beingasit continues toclosely monitorthe Bearspaw feeder main.

Sincelast Wednesday, fiveadditional wire snaps have been detected along the key pipe oneon Sunday,another on Fridayand three on Thursday, the city says.No new wire snaps were detected Saturday.

The citymonitorsthecoils that wrap around thefeeder main, which helpstrengthen it, for wire snaps. While thesesnaps do notindicatethe pipe will break, officials noteit is away of determining how muchstress is on the pipe.

Calgary used 649 million litres of water on Sunday,up from 606 million litres on Saturday.

Nancy Mackay, the city's water services director, said in a Mondayupdate that usage is noticeably higher on days whenoutdoor watering with sprinklersand in-ground sprinkling systems is permitted under current restrictions. She said this means Calgarians are sticking to the watering schedule.

Mackayaddedthe cityreceived the initial results of thePipeDiver inspectionlate Friday night, and it will take days to analyzethe data. Calgaryis working on a long-term rehabilitation plan for the feeder main, so the inspection data will be incorporated into it.

"While this analysis continues, and in light of the wire snaps on Thursday and Friday, we are leaving Stage 1 water restrictions in place,"Mackaysaid on Sunday.

The City of Calgaryturnedon an additional pump at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant on Wednesday, further increasing water flow tothe pipe.

Officials have previously said monitoring how the feeder main holds up with increased water pressure from the pump willinformtheir decision about whether to lift water restrictions further.

Calgary has been experiencingongoing water supply issues that were triggered by a catastrophic failurein the Bearspaw south feeder main on June 5.

On Tuesday, July 23, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondekannouncedthe move from Stage 2 down to Stage 1 restrictions.

Under Stage 1restrictions, the use of sprinklersand in-ground sprinkling systems are permitted for two hours per week.

Residents areallowed to water using those methodsbut must follow the city's watering schedule even number addresses are permitted to water onWednesday or Saturday, and oddnumber addresses are allowed to waterThursday or Sunday.

Watering with sprinklers and in-ground systems is allowed between these hours, according to thecity's website:

• 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.
• 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Wateringusinga hose with a trigger nozzle is allowedat any time, according to the city.

Under Stage 1 outdoor water use restrictions, the following water-related activities remain prohibited:

• Washing driveways and sidewalks.
• Washing vehiclesin the driveway or street.
• Washing windows or exterior building surfaces, unless it's done by a business licensed to do so.
• Filling fountains and decorative water features. Bird baths, however, are allowed.