City of Calgary takes another step towards restoring use of Bearspaw feeder main

The City of Calgary says it’s a step closer to returning the Bearspaw feeder main to full service. The final pump that supplies water to the feeder main will be activated Friday morning. If the system remains stable for 24 hours after that, the city is expected to start the process of removing water restrictions. “We are proceeding carefully as we further increase flow into the pipe,” said City of Calgary Infrastructure Services general manager Michael Thompson. “Returning the Bearspaw south feeder main to service is a delicate and phased process and as of today we have completed two phases,” Thompson added. Get weekly health news Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy . Friday will mark 17 days since the pipe, which normally supplies about 60 per cent of Calgary’s drinking water, ruptured, prompting repeated calls from the city for residents to cut back on water use while emergency repairs were made. Since the feeder main was shut down, the city has had to rely on the Glenmore Reservoir to supply three times the amount of water it would normally provide. On Wednesday, Calgarians used 501 million litres of water - still well above the target of 485 million litres that the city said is sustainable to ensure the Glenmore Reservoir has enough water to last the rest of the winter. “In the meantime, we still need Calgarians to continue conserving water just a little longer,” said Calgary Emergency Management chief Sue Henry. “Every action you take to reduce water usage still has an impact on the Glenmore Reservoir.” The city is also advising people who live in the area around the break in the feeder main that they are likely to see an increased presence of city work crews, along with firefighters, police officers, peace officers and utility workers in the area as they prepare for the possibility of another break in the pipe as it is returned to full service.

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