CALGARY — The ban on outdoor watering in Calgary and surrounding communities is staying in place for at least the next few days.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the ban will allow crews to safely stress-test the new pipe that replaced a ruptured water main.
Gondek says by Thursday they will be able to reassess and announce whether Calgarians can resume using hoses and sprinklers again to water lawns and gardens.
The city's 1.6 million residents and people in surrounding communities have been banned from watering outside since the rupture was discovered June 5.
Voluntary restrictions on indoor water use have since been lifted.
Gondek says crews are going to gradually increase water pressure in the line over the next three days, while also keeping an eye on some reinforcing wires that recently snapped.
"In a nutshell, the feeder main has been filled with water, and the caution that we are exercising right now is the speed at which we flow water through the pipe," Gondek told a news conference Monday.
"It may be a situation where everything goes smoothly, or it may be a situation where increased speed and pressure lead to another (defect) that will need to be addressed."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2024.
The Canadian Press
