Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the water system could go back to normal as soon as July 5, which is three weeks since the City of Calgary discovered and reported five water main hotspots had to be fixed. At the moment, Gondek said crews are working as fast as possible to fix the water system.“If crews can get the taps back on in full flow by the beginning of July, that’s going to be such great news for all of us,” said Gondek at a Thursday press conference. “Still, I have to caution that a potential site may have required a bit more repair than we expected or that water testing is going to take a little bit more time.” She said she wants Calgarians to be prepared for these changes to the schedule as they continue to learn more about the progress they are making. She called for them to hang in there with her and realize they can make it through if they continue to pay attention to the water restrictions. While the Calgary Stampede is coming up, she said it is committed to water conservation. The Calgary Stampede’s leadership has determined ways non-potable water can be used for activities such as keeping dust down on the tracks after the chuckwagons and cleaning. It has been working with other municipalities to access potable water and have it trucked in for the livestock and guests. While it is making backup plans, she said the City of Calgary “is doing everything possible to get us to the July 5 target date to get us back to normal flow of water.” The mayor went on to say 454 million litres of water were used on Wednesday, which means Calgarians are on a five-day streak of ensuring they stay below threshold. She praised them for doing a great job at conserving water. By conserving water, she said it ensures firefighters and hospitals have access to emergency water supply if it is needed. She commended the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) for its rapid response putting out a fire in Bowness. Media reports said there was an early call to 911 and a quick response from the CFD. It was able to put out the fire with 600 litres of water. To the people harassing City of Calgary workers when they are doing water work, she said that is unacceptable. She said these workers are flushing water through hydrants to meet regulatory standards for water quality, health, and safety. If people have questions about what workers are doing, she encouraged them to call 311. If they want to praise crews for trying to restore the water main, she said they should do the same. Gondek concluded by saying whatever people’s weekend plans are, she knows they are keeping water conservation top of mind and appreciates their actions. Their changes to showering, laundry, and dishwashing are showing up in their water usage. “Keep up the great work just as the crews in our city are doing great work as contractors and crews to restore the system back to normal,” she said. Gondek said on Wednesday the two pieces of pipe from the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) arrived on Tuesday night. READ MORE: Gondek says San Diego water pipe has arrived in Calgary In response, she thanked the SDCWA and other partner agencies that helped to expedite the shipment and get it up to Calgary. “Before we do that though, there is a local shop that is already in the process of sandblasting this pipe and coating it with epoxy to make sure it is ready to go as we repair the hotspots,” she said.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the water system could go back to normal as soon as July 5, which is three weeks since the City of Calgary discovered and reported five water main hotspots had to be fixed. At the moment, Gondek said crews are working as fast as possible to fix the water system.“If crews can get the taps back on in full flow by the beginning of July, that’s going to be such great news for all of us,” said Gondek at a Thursday press conference. “Still, I have to caution that a potential site may have required a bit more repair than we expected or that water testing is going to take a little bit more time.” She said she wants Calgarians to be prepared for these changes to the schedule as they continue to learn more about the progress they are making. She called for them to hang in there with her and realize they can make it through if they continue to pay attention to the water restrictions. While the Calgary Stampede is coming up, she said it is committed to water conservation. The Calgary Stampede’s leadership has determined ways non-potable water can be used for activities such as keeping dust down on the tracks after the chuckwagons and cleaning. It has been working with other municipalities to access potable water and have it trucked in for the livestock and guests. While it is making backup plans, she said the City of Calgary “is doing everything possible to get us to the July 5 target date to get us back to normal flow of water.” The mayor went on to say 454 million litres of water were used on Wednesday, which means Calgarians are on a five-day streak of ensuring they stay below threshold. She praised them for doing a great job at conserving water. By conserving water, she said it ensures firefighters and hospitals have access to emergency water supply if it is needed. She commended the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) for its rapid response putting out a fire in Bowness. Media reports said there was an early call to 911 and a quick response from the CFD. It was able to put out the fire with 600 litres of water. To the people harassing City of Calgary workers when they are doing water work, she said that is unacceptable. She said these workers are flushing water through hydrants to meet regulatory standards for water quality, health, and safety. If people have questions about what workers are doing, she encouraged them to call 311. If they want to praise crews for trying to restore the water main, she said they should do the same. Gondek concluded by saying whatever people’s weekend plans are, she knows they are keeping water conservation top of mind and appreciates their actions. Their changes to showering, laundry, and dishwashing are showing up in their water usage. “Keep up the great work just as the crews in our city are doing great work as contractors and crews to restore the system back to normal,” she said. Gondek said on Wednesday the two pieces of pipe from the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) arrived on Tuesday night. READ MORE: Gondek says San Diego water pipe has arrived in Calgary In response, she thanked the SDCWA and other partner agencies that helped to expedite the shipment and get it up to Calgary. “Before we do that though, there is a local shop that is already in the process of sandblasting this pipe and coating it with epoxy to make sure it is ready to go as we repair the hotspots,” she said.
