City water tests positive, end to water restrictions still on track for Sunday

The city is looking at smooth sailing toward a planned end to water restrictions on Sunday, as it reaches the final stages of repairs to the Bearspaw south feeder main.

The city completed refilling the feeder main on Thursday night, bringing the pipe one step closer to being up and running again. The city has been conducting water quality tests throughout the filling process, and final tests came back Saturday with water quality meeting or exceeding the city's expectations.

Ahead of this weekend's expected end to restrictions, the City of Calgary's director of capital priorities and investment, Francois Bouchart, stressed the importance of still keeping Calgary's water usage at a sustainable level, below 485 million litres a day.

"We're very close to the end, but it remains important to stay the course until the feeder main is back in service. It's not long to go now," Bouchart said Friday.

Calgary's reported water usage on Friday was 480 million litres, down from Thursday's 487 million litres.

After water quality and safety have been confirmed, the city will move to stabilize the system, including opening valves to reconnect the feeder main to the rest of the water distribution network, which is expected to begin on Saturday morning.

The stabilization process will include efforts to reduce cloudy water. But as the feeder main is reconnected to the system, Bouchart noted some people will still experience cloudy water with a chlorine smell.

Bouchart added that non-potable water pickup stations are expected to close on Sunday once restrictions are lifted.

Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions have been in effect since the Bearspaw south feeder main, which distributes most of Calgary's treated water, was shut down again at the end of August for repairs.

In its place, the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant has been producing approximately 70 per cent of Calgary's water supply, far more than the 30 per cent it typically handles at this time of year.

The city is in the final stages of repaving 33rd Avenue N.W., as part of feeder main repairs. Construction crews are preparing to repave the road west of 83rd Street N.W., anticipating to reopen the road next week, depending on weather.

Intermittent lane closures are still in place along 16th Avenue N.W. in Montgomery to complete concrete curb work.