These are the water restrictions in Calgary after major pipe burst

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Despite around-the-clock repairs, officials say that restoring Calgary’s water service will take longer than expected — and time is running out.

Repairs were paused this week after two workers were injured at the site. Meanwhile, Mayor Jyoti Gondek told reporters that water consumption has increased, bringing it over the “safe threshold.”

“Our supply is lower than it has been in the last few days,” she said. “There’s still a real chance we could run out of water. I know this is inconvenient, I know it’s hard to hear that we must do more. But we simply must.”

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Residents remain under water restrictions in order to prevent the city’s reservoir from running dry.

But what restrictions have been imposed, and exactly how dire is it? Here’s what to know about the city’s water service malfunction and how it’s affecting Calgary residents.

What are the water restrictions on Calgary residents?

Calgarians are currently under Stage 4 water restrictions, which ban all outdoor water use.

Residents are not allowed to water lawns, gardens, flowers, trees or shrubs using city water. Washing outdoor surfaces, including building exteriors, windows, sidewalks, driveways or walkways, is prohibited unless necessary for health and safety reasons.

Filling outdoor decorative features, fountains, pools or hot tubs is also banned, as is using water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction or dust control.

Public pools, water parks and the showers at city fitness centres have been closed.

Alongside water restrictions, a fire ban is in effect, prohibiting open fires, fire pits, gas or propane fire pits, outdoor chimeneas, recreational solid fuel barbecues and stoves (including those using charcoal briquettes or wood), tiki torches, and patio heaters (propane, catalytic, or infrared/radiant).

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Despite this, residents can still use gas or propane stoves and barbecues that are CSA-approved or ULC-certified for cooking purposes, as well as approved commercial solid fuel cooking equipment.

Anyone who violates these mandatory restrictions could face fines starting at $3,000.

Can Calgary residents still use water indoors?

The city is also encouraging residents to follow “voluntary water restrictions” indoors.

“We are providing you with suggestions and we are counting on your goodwill to reduce your indoor water use,” Gondek told a news conference Friday, adding no one is judging people who don’t wash their hair while the restrictions are in place.

These suggestions include using dishwashers and washing machines only when there’s a full load, turning off the tap while washing your hands, scraping plates clean instead of rinsing them, washing fruit and vegetables in a container of water before quickly rinsing them, and keeping a jug of water in the fridge to avoid running the tap to get cold water.

Peter Brown, the mayor of Airdrie, which gets its water from Calgary, said reducing water usage by turning off taps while washing hands is a simple ask.

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Residents were also asked to brush their teeth with the tap off, limit showers to three minutes or less, take shallow baths, fix any leaks and to flush the toilet “only when needed.” According to a city infographic, that doesn’t include if there’s only urine in the bowl. The mayor also suggested people stop shaving.

How do residents feel about the restrictions?

Gondek says that while Calgarians have been doing their part, they must continue to preserve water for a while longer as crews continue their work.

The mayor suggested some creative workarounds, such as collecting rainwater in containers and children’s pools.

“You can use it for things like your garden on the days that it’s not raining, and you can use it for uses where you don’t need clean drinking water,” she said.

She also said that residents shouldn’t worry about driving around in a dirt-smeared vehicle.

“You don’t need to wash your car,” Gondek said. “When you’re fuelling up, use the squeegee at the gas station.

Some residents have balked at the restrictions.

“Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has doubled down on her restrictive water restrictions,” one X user, @IyanVelji, posted on June 13. “She demands Calgarians let their pee sit in their toilet bowls, scrape their dishes with a spatula, and take showers like they are living on a campsite.”

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Residents have also expressed concerns about city recommendations asking them to “snitch” on fellow residents by reporting any misuse of water to 311.

According to the city, Calgary has received 1,250 calls for water misuse since the event began.

“I am worried about our city and our surrounding municipalities. If our water usage continues to trend up and our water supply can’t keep up, the taps will run dry at some point,” Gondek warned.

How did Calgary lose water?

On June 5, a critical water main break impacted water availability throughout the city. The breach occurred in a crucial section of the city’s water pipeline, forming a 10-inch opening that caused severe flooding in the city’s northwest. Hundreds of homes and businesses were left without water.

Workers isolated and removed the broken section of the main feeder pipe, which accounts for 60 per cent of the city’s water, and began work installing a new one.

Fixing the giant, seven-metre-long section of ruptured pipe, big enough in diameter for a car to drive through, consists of welding a replacement pipe into place, cleaning it, and testing it.

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Repairs to the pipe were briefly paused earlier this week after two workers were injured at the site but has since resumed, with no firm timeline for completion.

One worker remained in hospital Thursday with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Calgary reported that water consumption was higher than what the city has rationed over the past couple of days, with usage recorded at the threshold 480-million-litre mark on Thursday and well above the threshold the day before that.

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

National Post, with additional reporting from The Canadian Press

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