Summer fun is still planned for Calgary despite water restrictions

CALGARY — Calgary officials are assuring residents and tourists planning to visit next month that water restrictions won’t get in the way of the fun.

But the first few weeks of summer will look different as the city continues to repair a major water main that has forced many to restrict water use.

The Calgary Stampede is still scheduled to start on July 5, but is to use recycled water for cleaning and limit the number of cleanings of grandstand seats.

“The show will go on, but it will go on in a very responsible way,” Stampede CEO Joel Cowley said at a news conference Monday.

“The goal is to provide a great experience, to make sure everyone is safe – people and animals alike.”

Hotels in the city and area will have their pools closed and post messages encouraging shorter showers.

“I know summer has been on everyone’s mind,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

“Summer will go ahead.”

The city noted in a news release that it has reviewed its water demand during the Stampede for the past five years and found that there has not been a significant increase in water use. Part of the reason for this, the release said, was that many Calgarians take vacations out of town during the festival.

Another reason, they say, is that July can bring big storms, reducing Calgarians’ need for outdoor watering.

Calgary, a city of 1.6 million people, and surrounding municipalities, including Airdrie, Chestermere and the Tsuut’ina Nation, have been under a combination of mandatory and voluntary water restrictions since the water line broke on June 5.

All outdoor watering is prohibited, and residents have been asked to reduce toilet flushes, take shorter showers and do fewer loads of laundry and dishes.

While people have mostly met their goal of reducing their water use by 25% or more, things went from bad to worse at the end of last week.

While repairing the water line, which supplies 60 percent of the city’s water, crews discovered five more weak spots that required repair.

On Saturday, the city declared a local state of emergency, a move primarily intended to allow access to private property to make repairs.

“This was a necessary step to help us prepare to have our water fully restored as efficiently and safely as possible,” Gondek said.

The first ruptured area has been repaired, Gondek said, and crews are now focused on repairing the other five areas. The work is expected to take three to five weeks.

“I want to take a moment to assure Calgarians that we hear you and that we are working around the clock to make these repairs,” Gondek said.

She said work on the remaining five sites will not be done one at a time. “We will continue to work on these at the same time.”

The mayor repeated pleas for people to limit their water use until repairs are completed and urged businesses to let staff work from home.

“They can take a shorter shower. I can skip a shower. I can do one less wash,” she said.

Last week, water use was or was trending higher than the city’s daily target of 480 million litres. Gondek said it was down over the weekend, with 439 million liters used on Sunday.

“I really appreciate that you found other ways to reduce water use,” she said.

She said she is grateful for the support of the provincial and federal governments, along with other cities that provide critical spare parts.

On Sunday, officials released a photo showing a section of replacement pipe from the California Water Authority in San Diego. The pipe came with a spray-painted heart and a message on the side, “Good Luck Calgary.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 17, 2024.

— By Fakiha Baig in Edmonton

The Canadian Press