The more water Calgarians use, the sooner the taps will run dry, said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

In her morning briefing Friday, she said there was only one message for Calgarians: “We must do better.”  

The mayor also said that should Calgarians not get on board, they may have to implement indoor watering restrictions in order to preserve the water supply for critical functions.

Calgarians are still using water at the sustainable threshold or beyond, she said in the morning briefing. She said 480 million litres were used Thursday, which is the threshold that allows them to replenish community reservoirs.

“While we reduced our water use slightly from the day before, we simply have to do more,” she said.

“We do not have access to the majority of our water supply until this feeder main can be restored to its full function. 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.”

Work on the water main repair was delayed for several hours between Wednesday night and Thursday after two workers were injured. Welding was supposed to continue Thursday afternoon after Alberta Occupational Health and Safety gave the green light earlier in the day.

Mayor Gondek said there’s rain in the forecast this weekend and people can utilize that water for their lawns and gardens, even beyond the weekend precipitation.  

She reiterated that there are outdoor watering restrictions, and is asking people to cram dishwashers full, skip a shower, flush toilets less, only launder the essentials, and even choose meals that use less water.

“If you can’t see out of your vehicle’s windows, or if the headlights or taillights are dirty, you don’t need to wash your car,” she said.  

“You can use a rag and wipe them off, or, better yet, when you’re fueling up, use the squeegee at the gas station.”

Surrounding area support; city workers staying home

Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown joined Mayor Gondek for the morning briefing, reinforcing the message for all residents served by Calgary’s water to chip in and help make a difference in water use.

He said in Airdrie, they’re falling back a bit, too. Everyone needs to do more.

“This is not a burden. We are so fortunate to turn the tap on and have clean, fresh drinking water here in Canada,” he said.

“Lots of places around the world, they don’t have that opportunity. We need to remind ourselves, it’s a small adjustment in how we do things.”

Calgary’s Chief Administrative Officer David Duckworth said that they’ve asked employees who can work remotely to do so.

“By working remotely, our employees can be in direct control of their water use,” he said.

Further, anyone working at a city facility is being asked to reduce water use.

Mayor Gondek described several situations that could occur without water: No water to extinguish fires, no water to wash bedding at hospitals, no water for parents to sterilize newborn bottles. 

She said they’ve provided many suggestions for people to conserve water and are relying on the goodwill of Calgarians to do their part without indoor water restrictions.

“If we can’t do our part by banding together, there may be some restrictions that come into place. (I) Don’t know what that looks like. I really don’t want to get to that stage,” she said.

There will be a further Friday afternoon update.