Water usage across Calgary spiked Monday, reaching 505 million litres after a three-day downward trend between Friday and Sunday.
It comes as the City of Calgary continues to ask residents and businesses to use less water during repairs to the Bearspaw south feeder main, a critical piece of infrastructure that supplies the majority of Calgary’s system.
That construction requires the pipe to be turned off, impacting the ability to move water around normally and leading to pressure fluctuations that could cause water main breaks, the City of Calgary’s water services department told CBC News in a statement on Monday.
“This is typical for any water system and it happens for a short time until the system adjusts,” reads the statement.
According to the city’s water services department, it maintains nearly 15,000 kilometres of underground water infrastructure as part of its drinking water, wastewater and storm water systems.
It added that between 200 and 300 water main repairs are done every year.
As of 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, there were six emergency breaks between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 noted on the city’s website.
The city said water main breaks can be triggered by several factors:
- Pressure changes.
- Age, material and condition of the pipes.
- Condition of the soil.
- Temperature of the ground.
But dealing with repairs to breaking water mains is not impacting repair work on the Bearspaw south feeder main.
“[We] have one of the lowest number of average breaks per 100 kilometres when compared to other major Canadian cities,” a statement from the city says.
The Bearspaw south water main, which carries roughly 60 per cent of the city’s water supply, suffered a break on June 5.
An inspection during initial repairs found 16 new spots that also needed to be fixed.
“This is why we are asking for your continued support with reduced water use while we complete these urgent repairs,” said Michael Thompson, the city’s general manager of infrastructure services.
Usage hit 473 million litres on Sunday, 475 million litres on Saturday and 492 million on Friday — all above the target maximum of 450 million litres set by the city for daily water use.
Calgary is under Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions, meaning that activities such as watering lawns with city water and washing outdoor surfaces are not permitted.
City officials have also asked residents to reduce their indoor water use by 25 per cent.
On Sunday, the city said its water misuse reports have climbed to 576, including 427 for residences and 88 for businesses.
An update on Calgary’s water usage as well as repair work to the feeder main is expected Tuesday afternoon.