Officials issue warning as water use reaches critical 'red zone': 'We do not have enough'

The Canadian city of Calgary has urged residents to conserve water ahead of a looming supply disruption due to infrastructure repairs, Global News reported.

What's happening?

Bearspaw South Feeder Main supplies more than half of the city's water.

The pipeline suffered two "catastrophic" failures in an 18-month span, the most recent of which occurred Dec. 31.

On Monday, emergency repairs on nine critical pipe junctures will begin, prompting officials to warn locals about weeks of reduced water supplies. 

"Simply put, we will not be able to get as much water as usual from our plants to your taps," said Michael Thompson, Calgary's infrastructure manager, per Global News. 

He explained that the city's underground storage was sufficient for a day's worth of water, that depleting it too quickly imperiled the entire system, and the broader repercussions.

"If our demand is too high, we could face situations where we do not have enough water to fight fires," Thompson began. 

"The pressure in our pipes drops too low, which could lead to a … boil-water advisory. Or we have a major failure at our plant or elsewhere in the system, and no water is available at all."

Why is this concerning?

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas shared an update about the Bearspaw South Feeder Main to Reddit's r/Calgary on Feb. 13 and thanked Calgarians for their compliance and patience.

However, several commenters implored Farkas to ensure fire restrictions were also enacted, citing dangerous actions on the part of neighbors.

"Could you please put the city and surrounding areas on a fire ban when we end up on restrictions again. My neighbours were letting sparks fly all over the place … during water restrictions. They're always irresponsible with their fires," one replied.

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Concern about increased risk of dry vegetation and wildfires wasn't limited to one user.

"Also if we do end up on water restrictions could we please put a fire ban on? The people 4 doors down from me seem to love having giant bonfires on windy days. … You can see sparks blowing at their house and their neighbours' house," another asked.

While Farkas and locals agreed that water main repairs were urgently needed, their feedback underscored the secondary risks of water supply disruptions, whether planned or unplanned.

What's being done about it?

According to Alberta's Strathmore Times, residents of Calgary and neighboring water districts will be required to drastically curtail their water usage.

All outdoor water use will be restricted, and locals have been asked to reduce or refrain from some indoor water use as well, with a goal of cutting total water usage by 3%, or "about 25 liters per person," per Global News.

"We're encouraging Calgarians to do absolutely everything that they can in terms of managing their own water use. We're encouraging employers to take those steps as well," Farkas said, per Global News.

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