Calgary bylaw officers work over long weekend as reports continue of water scofflaws
Capital priorities and investments director Francois Bouchart said in a video update on Saturday that the city consumed 492 million litres of water on Friday, and while that’s well below normal consumption, it’s above the target of 450 million litres per day while repairs are underway.
A Calgary official has issued a warning to residents who continue to water their lawns as the city undertakes repairs on a feeder main—bylaw officers are actively monitoring compliance throughout the holiday weekend.
In a video update on Saturday, Francois Bouchart, the city's director of capital priorities and investments, reported that Calgary consumed 492 million litres of water on Friday. While this figure is below the normal usage, it still exceeds the target of 450 million litres per day set during the ongoing repairs.
Bouchart noted that reports of outdoor watering at homes and businesses persist, with 347 such instances recorded this week alone.
The city has reminded residents that those who violate the watering restrictions could face fines of up to $3,000.
This marks the second round of repairs and water restrictions following the rupture of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main in northwest Calgary in June. The current repair work is expected to continue until late September.
Outdoor watering is prohibited, and residents are urged to reduce their indoor water usage.
"Unfortunately, we are still seeing outdoor watering at residences and commercial properties, which is prohibited under Stage 4 watering restrictions," Bouchart stated in the update. "Bylaw officers are on duty over the weekend to address these violations and will issue $3,000 fines as necessary."
The city has warned that if water consumption exceeds 450 million litres per day during the repair process, Calgary could face a shortage of drinking water.
Bouchart assured residents that repair work is progressing around the clock and remains on schedule. He emphasized that the repairs are crucial to prevent another catastrophic failure of the feeder main, similar to the incident in June.
Starting next week, a section of 16th Avenue Northwest from 46th Street Northwest to the Bowness Road interchange will be closed to facilitate repairs, with traffic being detoured onto Bowness Road.
Bouchart added that the city's plans aim to keep the driveways of as many businesses as possible accessible during the road closure.
