Calgary water restrictions will be lifted 'sometime this weekend': city

Extended: Calgary water update, Sept. 18, 2024 City officials provide an update on Calgary's water situation on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.

Calgary's water restrictions should be lifted in the next three or four days, officials say.

Calgary returned to Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions on Monday, Aug. 26 as work to repair problem sections of the Bearspaw feeder main began. The restrictions were implemented with a request to voluntarily curb indoor usage.

On Wednesday, the city said if things continue as they have been, Calgary is "still on track" to have restrictions lifted "sometime this weekend."

Francois Bouchart, the City of Calgary's director of capital priorities and investment, said the refilling of the feeder main began on Tuesday morning.

"We do not anticipate any widespread impacts to water pressure. There may be a few homes that experience a drop in pressure while we release water from fire hydrants as part of the return to service of the feeder main, but that will be minimal," he said.

"The impacted homes have already been notified."

Bouchart says when restrictions are lifted, citizens will be asked to ease back into their water use.

"By not doing all your laundry at once, for instance."

Tuesday's water use was 500 million litres, including approximately seven million litres used to fill the pipe.

"This water came from the Bearspaw plant, over and above what we supplied to the system," Bouchart explained.

The target the city has set for sustainable water use in 485 million litres.

"We are so close to the end, but I want to remind you we need to keep up water saving practices until the feeder main is back in service," Bouchart said.

"Please hang in there and help us get to the finish line."