Little robots will be sent 100 metres in both directions from a break in a massive water feeder main in northwest Calgary to look at the condition of the pipe on either side.

That’s part of an ongoing repair that’s now underway at the section of the feeder main in Bowness that failed June 5, forcing water conservation across Calgary

Nancy Mackay, director of Water Services for the City of Calgary said that work is moving ahead 24 hours a day at the site of the feeder main break. She said there’s been a process to get to this point. It started with turning off the water, then they had to work with other utility partners to shut off gas, electrical and telecom.

After that, the area was dug up and water was removed from the site.

“That takes us to the weekend, we’ve been simultaneously, right now, getting ready for the repair of the pipe, while assessing the condition and completing many technical tests to understand the extent of the repairs that we need,” Mackay said.

“This is a very critical stage for us, and it’s going to take some time to complete.”

They have cut the pipe where the break happened, so the damaged portion can be removed, Mackay said. Once that’s done, they’ll send the mini-robots in equipped with sensors to assess the conditions.

“Once that assessment is done, it will tell us if we need some additional parts,” she said.

After that, the new section is added and welded in. Then it will be flushed with chlorinated water to disinfect it. They will add more water, conduct pressure tests and then flush the pipes.

“Due to the size of the pipe we’re preparing, this step alone is a large portion of the plan, and it will take a few days to complete,” Mackay said.

She added that while she knows Calgarians are very appreciative of the repairs being done by workers, she encouraged people to stay clear of the site so they can focus on the job.

A minimum of five to seven days is still the targeted time for work to be done, Mackay said.

Conservation efforts must continue: CEMA Chief Henry

Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Sue Henry said the lengths Calgarians have gone to conserve water has resulted in the 23 citywide reservoirs being able to fill daily. She said it’s critical that citizens continue to make these sacrifices.

Right now, reservoirs are at roughly 50 per cent capacity. If that drops to 33 per cent, further steps will have to be taken to limit water use.

“I want to ensure you that this is unlikely to happen if we keep doing the efforts that we’re doing today, and keep conserving water,” she said.

City officials showed how the distribution of water supply has been impacted, with a literal flow chart of where Calgary water is being produced and where it’s being pumped.

“Continued focus on equalizing the supply and demand is critical to ensuring sustainability across our water network and ensuring that we all have continued access,” she said.

They continue to provide numerous ideas for conserving water, stressing that every little bit counts in this situation. Many of those things Calgarians can do to conserve water are found on the city’s webpage dedicated to the event.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said citizens are doing a great job with the water conservation, and they need to keep it up for the time being. She said earlier in the day that the city would do its part to better inform citizens on what’s happening.

“I know that this has been incredibly disruptive in terms of a water situation for everyone in the city, and we greatly appreciate the patience that you’ve shown, and so much appreciate the measures that you’ve taken,” she said.