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

The City of Calgary says it's sticking to Stage 1 outdoor water use restrictions for the time being as it continues to closely monitor the Bearspaw feeder main.

Since last Wednesday, five additional wire snaps have been detected along the key pipe — one on Sunday, another on Friday and three on Thursday, the city says. No new wire snaps were detected Saturday.

The city monitors the coils that wrap around the feeder main, which help strengthen it, for wire snaps. While these snaps do not indicate the pipe will break, officials note it is a way of determining how much stress 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 Monday update that usage is noticeably higher on days when outdoor watering with sprinklers and in-ground sprinkling systems is permitted under current restrictions. She said this means Calgarians are sticking to the watering schedule.

Mackay added the city received the initial results of the PipeDiver inspection late Friday night, and it will take days to analyze the data. Calgary is 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," Mackay said on Sunday. 

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

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

Calgary has been experiencing ongoing water supply issues that were triggered by a catastrophic failure in the Bearspaw south feeder main on June 5. 

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

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

Residents are allowed to water using those methods but must follow the city's watering schedule — even number addresses are permitted to water on Wednesday or Saturday, and odd number addresses are allowed to water Thursday or Sunday.

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

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

Watering using a hose with a trigger nozzle is allowed at 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 vehicles in 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.