Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek will provide an update on the status of the Bearspaw south feeder main at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
The news conference comes after the city turned off a third pump at the Bearspaw water treatment out of caution last Friday.
Flow to the key feeder main remains at 70 per cent of its maximum capacity and Calgary is still under Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions.
“Based on this flow rate, we can meet demand under Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions, but we would not be able to meet demand if we lifted restrictions entirely,” Calgary’s general manager of infrastructure services, Michael Thompson, said in a Friday afternoon update.
The city paused daily livestream updates on the status of the feeder main over the past five days, promising to share more information on the PipeDiver findings, progress on the feeder main rehabilitation plan, and costs of the response efforts at a media availability this week.
A PipeDiver is an electromagnetic and ultrasonic pipe inspection tool used to monitor large diameter water pipes.
Twelve wire snaps have been reported along the pipe since it was repaired and brought back into service. The city monitors the wire coils that wrap around the feeder main, which help strengthen it. While these snaps are not a sign that the pipe will break, officials say it is a way of assessing how much stress the pipe is under.
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.
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.