Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the damaged pipe has been completely removed and the city is moving towards installing the new parts.
In the 8:30 a.m. Saturday update, the mayor says sections of the removed pipe are being stored so they can become part of the independent review.
A third-party investigation into what caused the rupture along the Bearspaw south feedermain is underway. A section of the pipe burst on June 5 and caused flooding along 16 Avenue NW near Home Road.
“This is a significant milestone,” Gondek said.
She says most of the materials required for repairs are on-site or being delivered.
Gondek also says welding has started and will continue through the weekend. This involves reinforcing steel being installed on the segment of pipe called the thrust block, because it’s an “important part of the pipe stability system needs to remain in place.”
Meanwhile, she says the July 5 target is still “very much in play.”
This comes after the city said Wednesday that the original three-to-five-week timeline given last Friday is closer to being on the lower end of the timeline — landing on the first day of the Calgary Stampede.
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With the sunny and warmer weather expected on Saturday, Gondek says it could be challenging to beat the heat with the outdoor water restrictions in place.
“Staying hydrated is very important. So make sure you are drinking lots of water, and please look out for your kids and pets as well. But with the outdoor watering bans still in place, running sprinklers or filling pools is not something you should be doing,” she said. “You could have a visit from bylaw if you participate in using outdoor water.”
“Those hotspots that we need to repair are getting worked on as quickly as possible. So I would ask that you please restrict your outdoor water use while we are getting these repairs done and we can get things back up and running.”
She offered some alternatives for Calgarians, like heading to Calgary public libraries, packing an umbrella, or floating down the Bow River safely.
Calgary’s water use for Friday was at 462 million litres, a few million below the 480 million litre threshold.
All outdoor watering is banned and people have been urged to reduce toilet flushes, take shorter showers and do fewer loads of laundry and dishes.
Another update is expected at 2 p.m.
Listen to CityNews 660 for the latest on Calgary’s water emergency.