Calgary has declared a State of Local Emergency (SOLE) related to the ongoing water situation due to the water feeder main break.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said that the additional repairs required after five new hot spots were found on the Bearspaw south feeder main forced them to make the decision.
She signed the order for the State of Local Emergency at 8 a.m. June 14.
Mayor Gondek said she has also been in close contact with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver.
“I also met with the provincial government’s Emergency Management Cabinet to discuss how the province can support our efforts to resolve the situation as quickly and effectively as possible,” the mayor said.
“I’m very grateful to Premier Smith, to Minister McIver, and the provincial government for their continued support and encouragement to reach out and discuss the situation and give up-to-date feedback to them every day.”
According to Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Sue Henry, the SOLE was declared to help return water service to normal as quickly as possible.
“It allows for coordination of action and is an indicator of the aggressive approach we’re taking to restore water service for all customers as soon as safely possible,” Henry said.
“At this time, we are planning for all eventualities, and we may need to act quickly, and the coordination is integral for the magnitude of these repairs that are required and the seriousness of this situation, the anticipated length of time of this repair is also critical.”
Mayor Gondek said that one of the ways the SOLE will help is because they want to do all of the work simultaneously, it may require the use of private property to stage materials and equipment at five locations. The SOLE allows the city to access that space.
Chief Henry added that because five additional fixes must be made, the repair work is much more complex.
“Now that we have five fixes to make, this will be a complex undertaking, and we need to make sure that we have a smooth path ahead and mitigate as many circumstances as possible,” she said.
