Calgary Eases Water Restrictions and Lifts Fire Ban after Bearspaw Feeder Main Break

Calgary has taken significant strides in its recovery from the Bearspaw South Feeder Main break, with authorities announcing the transition from Stage 4 to Stage 3 water restrictions and the removal of the fire ban.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek revealed that the decision comes after a thorough evaluation of water demand against available supply, signaling a positive outlook for Calgary’s water system capacity.

The shift to Stage 3 restrictions permits outdoor watering with handheld containers and allows contractors to utilize water for specific construction operations like dust suppression.

As temperatures are anticipated to soar close to 30C in the coming week, several exemptions have been granted, including the reopening of outdoor pools and spray parks across the city to provide relief from the heat.

The seven residential river water collection stations that were established in response to the incident will be shuttered, with only the Ogden location remaining open for commercial operators.

Furthermore, Calgary’s irrigation sector, which has been severely impacted over the past month, has voiced concerns about the economic strain caused by the restrictions, prompting city officials to schedule discussions with industry representatives.

Despite the progress made, ongoing monitoring of the affected feeder main, now operating at 55% capacity, continues to ensure system stability, with no notable issues detected thus far.

City of Calgary spray parks are set to reopen on Sunday afternoon, followed by the phased reopening of outdoor pools throughout the upcoming week.

In parallel, maintenance work at the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant has been successfully concluded, complemented by the completion of the condition assessment by the PipeDiver tool on the impacted feeder line.