Calgary mayor warns water use too high as possible end to restrictions nears

CALGARY — Calgary’s mayor said it’s unfortunate residents seem to have abandoned conservation efforts days before full water service is expected to be restored.

Jyoti Gondek said Calgarians on Thursday blew past the daily threshold the city set to maintain water service after a massive water main ruptured three weeks ago.

She said if Calgarians don’t bring down their use over the long weekend by 25 per cent firefighters may not have enough to battle blazes.

“It feels a little bit like some of you have given up, Calgary,” Gondek said Friday at a news conference.

“I have been using a bucket of water saved from the shower to do dishes that we have in the house. I have had to skip showers to conserve water. I understand what you are all going through because I’m in this with all of you,” she said.

“I’m not giving up and, frankly, you can’t either.”

She said daily water usage crept up the entire week, and Thursday’s use was the highest since the city imposed its mix of voluntary and mandatory restrictions. Residents used 500 million litres of water Thursday, which was 20 million litres more than the daily limit.

Almost every day since the June 5 pipe break, Gondek has asked Calgary’s 1.6 million residents and those in surrounding communities to restrict their indoor water use by flushing their toilets less often, taking three-minute showers and doing fewer loads of laundry.

Outdoor water use has been banned. Residents have been encouraged to rely on rainwater for their gardens.

Restrictions were expected to be lifted Monday. The pipeline break and five other problem areas have been fixed and crews were to finish pumping millions of litres of water through 4.5 kilometres of replacement pipe Friday night.

Immediately after that, workers were to begin flushing the water. The water also has to be tested to ensure it’s safe to drink.

Until that work is complete, Gondek said, she’s “counting on (Calgarians) to keep saving water.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2024.

— By Fakiha Baig in Edmonton

The Canadian Press