Water use in Calgary went down Wednesday, but was still above the increased threshold deemed sustainable by city officials.
Data released by the city shows 500 million litres of water was used on Wednesday, down from 506 million litres on Tuesday, and 505 million litres on Monday.
The level of consumption the city is aiming for is 485 million litres, increased from 450 million litres earlier this week when crews tested a new configuration that let 35 million more litres safely move through the system.
Typical daily water usage for this time of year is 600 million litres, according to the city.
Stage 4 water restrictions, which ban outdoor water use including watering lawns and gardens, and the request to reduce personal water use by 25 per cent are a product of repair work being completed on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.
Francois Bouchart, the City of Calgary’s director of capital priorities and investment, urged Calgarians Wednesday to be mindful of their water usage with another string of hot weather days in the forecast.
“We are still using water at an unsustainable rate,” he said. “We are running the system at maximum capacity, stretching it beyond what is reasonable.”
He says meeting the 485 million litre threshold ensures neighbourhood underground storage tanks are replenished and “safeguards” the Glenmore water treatment plant and pumping stations.
The city said late last week they were going to start issuing fines for people who aren’t following the outdoor water rules.
As of Wednesday, 11 tickets, each with a $3,000 fine, have been issued. The city says of the tickets issued, seven were for residential customers, two were for multi-family housing and two were for commercial properties.
Since repair work began on August 26, the city says it has got over 1,000 complaints above water misuse.
Construction is still on track to be done by the scheduled Sept. 23 date.
The city said Wednesday, excavation is done on all 12 pipe segments at sites one through four along 22 Avenue NW and at Shouldice Park. The pipes have been encased in concrete at four of these segments and crews have started the concrete curing process for some repairs.
Excavation has now begun at site five, the final site on 33 Avenue N.W., the city says.
Construction on sites six through eight, along 16 Avenue N.W., is scheduled to begin Thursday. As a result, 16 Avenue NW is closed between 46 Street NW and 41 Street NW and traffic will be redirected to Bowness Road, which will stay fully open in both directions with direct access to 16 Avenue NW and businesses.