Calgary declares local state of emergency amid prolonged water main repairs

CALGARY – The City of Calgary declared a local state of emergency on Saturday due to the city’s limited water supply, a day after officials revealed work to repair a broken water main is expected to take three to five weeks longer than originally expected.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said he signed the documents to declare a state of emergency Saturday morning following the investigation into the broken pipe, which found five more areas in need of repair.

She said the declaration gives the city powers it wouldn’t normally have, such as allowing city workers to enter private property to speed up repairs.

“This is not a decision that was made lightly,” she said during a news conference alongside Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief Sue Henry.

“If we can make it happen faster, we’re definitely going to make it happen faster, and I’m determined to do everything I can to make it happen.”

To help speed up the repair process, Gondek said the city has been talking with municipalities across the continent to get parts, equipment and expertise. She added that the city is also looking to the private sector, including Alberta energy companies, to help find solutions.

Meanwhile, Gondek reiterated a call to residents and businesses to reduce water consumption during the crisis.

That includes allowing employees to work from home if possible, which she said could save people a morning shower and having to “worry about how they look or smell.”

The mayor earlier proposed solutions such as not shaving and collecting rainwater in children’s pools. On Saturday, she outlined other concrete steps Calgarians can take to reduce water use in the coming weeks, such as reducing the number of times they flush their toilets each day.

“The truth is, if every household in Calgary flushed one less toilet a day, we would save 12 million liters of water,” she said.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver issued a statement Saturday, saying the Alberta government is supporting the city “in any way necessary” and remains in touch with provincial and municipal emergency management agencies as well as Gondek’s office.

“The Government of Alberta supports the City of Calgary in its decision to declare a local state of emergency, as this step signifies the critical condition of Calgary’s water infrastructure and the work that must occur quickly to return to normal,” McIver said in the statement.

Calgary, a city of 1.6 million people, and some nearby municipalities, including Airdrie and Chestermere, have been under a combination of mandatory and voluntary water reduction rules since a major water line broke in the city’s northwest Calgary on June 5th.

Gondek said the city hit a peak of 480 million liters used on Friday – a figure that had stabilized the day before.

Anything higher than the threshold means Calgary is using more water than it can produce and will eventually run out.

Fixing the broken pipe, which is large enough in diameter for a car to drive through, consists of welding a replacement pipe, cleaning and testing it.

Henry said a review of the pipeline’s condition earlier in the week revealed the rupture was “catastrophic.”

“We saw the complexity of the solution that we managed in the last week,” she said.

“Now that we have five fixes to do, this is going to be a complex undertaking and we need to make sure we have a smooth path and mitigate as many circumstances as possible.”

The updated timeline for repairs also means water restrictions may be in place until the start of the Calgary Stampede, which is scheduled for July 5-14 this year.

The annual fair and rodeo is known to draw crowds of tourists and fill Calgary’s bars and restaurants throughout the 10-day festivities.

But Gondek said he would not speculate on whether this year’s edition will have to be held under adapted rules if the situation is not resolved by opening day.

“What I can tell you is that we have very good partnerships in the city with many organizations, including the Calgary Stampede, and I look forward to hearing their perspective after their meeting yesterday,” she said.

When asked, the Calgary Stampede did not clarify whether organizers are preparing for an adapted version of the event or if certain parts may be canceled.

“We will continue to work with our partners at the City of Calgary and the Calgary Emergency Management Agency as this situation evolves,” spokeswoman Shannon Greer said in an emailed statement.

In 2020, the event was canceled for the first time in more than a century amid the COVID-19 pandemic and returned the following year at capacity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 15, 2024.

— By Sammy Hudes in Toronto, with files from Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton

The Canadian Press