Boil water advisory lifted in northwest Calgary, residents urged to conserve water

The boil water advisory for several northwest Calgary communities has been lifted. City crews are still working on repairing the Bearspaw south feeder main break.

Residents of Parkdale, Montgomery, Point McKay, and West Hillhurst were under the advisory since last Tuesday. This was due to a burst pipe that caused significant flooding and required firefighters to rescue 13 people from vehicles stuck in the rushing water.

The city lifted the advisory late Sunday after testing confirmed the water met all health and quality standards.

Even though the advisory is lifted, the city is urging Calgarians to continue limiting their water use. As of Saturday, the city’s water use was 495 million litres, which is higher than the target of 485 million litres.

The city is preparing for higher demand as students return to school and others to work on Monday.

“The urgent need to reduce our water use still exists today,” said Sue Henry, Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief, in a city statement.

“We are still asking Calgarians to conserve water, whether that means a shorter shower or fewer flushes. There are many ways we can all ensure our water system remains stable while crews work on this critical repair.”

Ahead of the busy morning commute, the city has reopened one eastbound lane on 16th Avenue N.W. for the first time since the feeder main break. Drivers can access the lane going east from Sarcee Trail. However, the westbound lanes between 49th Street N.W. and Sarcee Trail N.W. remain closed.

The city is asking drivers to consider alternate routes when traveling through the area, as construction work is ongoing.

City crews continued their work on Sunday, removing water from the site and excavating the damaged section. The pipe removal phase of the repair began Sunday afternoon.

Officials still do not know what caused the city’s second catastrophic water main break in less than two years.