Calgary officials stated they are now in the fill, flush, test, and stabilizing stage of the water main that broke in early June. If this work is successful without any further issues, water restrictions will be eased as early as July 1.
On June 27, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek noted paving work is mostly done, with 16th avenue opening tomorrow. She noted the rain caused some issues for paving crews and told motorists to expect some bumps along the road as some top layer pavement is still missing.
Filling of the pipe began last evening and could last between a day and two days to fill to capacity. It will take about 14 million litres of water to fill the 4.5 km of pipe. City officials added higher levels of chlorine to clean the pipe but noted chlorine levels will return to normal once the work is completed.
Flushing will likely happen on Friday and lab testing is anticipated on the weekend. Then, the feeder main will slowly be brought up to regular pressure.
Gondek noted they could potentially ease up on indoor water saving measures gradually in one week, but that anything could change at any moment.
She said they have concerns about water usage creeping up and urged people to continue conserving water.
Gondek also proposed budget measures to Calgary council to help to secure the safety of the City's water infrastructure. The water department will identify how the City can improve technology and monitoring for their water system and council will also be told about the maintenance and upgrades required over the next two years.
