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Calgary’s mayor has issued a stark warning over the city’s water shortage, caused by a massive water main break last week.
Jeromy Farkas took to social media on Monday to warn that the water shortage is entering “loss-of-life territory, where firefighting and emergency response may be compromised” if city residents fail to cut back on water usage.
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Major water main break traps people in vehicles
The Bearspaw South Feeder Main ruptured on Dec. 30, forcing the city to ask Calgary residents to conserve water while repairs are being done on the pipe that supplies 60 per cent of the treated water for the city of 1.6 million people.
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Boil water advisories were also issued for close to 3,000 residents of several neighbourhoods near the break along 16 Avenue Northwest, which makes up part of the Trans Canada Highway through Calgary.
The mayor of Calgary says residents’ use of 510 million litres of water on Sunday was well above ‘sustainable’ levels and could be threatening the city’s ability to fight fires or provide essential services.
City of Calgary
While the city lifted the boil water advisories on Sunday, Farkas says water use remains “unsustainable” after dropping temporarily to “sustainable” levels late last week.
A video shared by the city of Calgary on Sunday shows a badly damaged section of the Bearspaw feeder main being removed from the ground by city crews.
City of Calgary
Repairs on the water main continue, with the city sharing a video on social media Sunday evening showing one of the severely damaged sections of pipe being pulled from the ground by city crews.
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Several roads in the area, including westbound 16 Avenue, also remain closed, although one lane has been reopened for eastbound traffic.
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The mayor is scheduled to provide an update on the water main repairs on Monday afternoon, but on social media, he describes the water usage situation as “serious” and says a reduction in water usage is needed to “protect lives and keep essential services running.”
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Calgary urges strict water conservation as crews repair major feeder main break
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