Water restrictions in Calgary and area have now been lifted, as the repaired Bearspaw water feeder main is back in service.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek delivered the news during a Sunday morning update on the repairs and reintroduction of service.

“I want to thank you for being great Calgarians, the level of collaboration that we have seen since June the fifth is the reason that we’ve been able to get through two significant rounds of work on the Bearspaw South feeder main,” she said.

Repair work was completed just before the weekend, and the City of Calgary had to fill the pipe, test the water, and stabilize the system. Completion of that work allowed the City to lift Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions and voluntary indoor restrictions.

While the water restrictions have been lifted, Francois Bouchart, director of capital priorities and investments, said that they would appreciate people easing back into their regular water use.

“You may have a mound of laundry that you’ve been waiting to tackle, a pressure wash job that you’ve been holding off, or you may just want to take that extra-long, guilt-free shower,” he said.

“Where possible, we would just ask you to please space these things out over the next few days, that will help even out any spikes in demand and will be easier in our system.”

Mayor Gondek said she appreciated that Calgarians pulled together, despite how challenging the situation has been over the past few months.

“You’ve been patient, you’ve been collaborative, and you’ve been very strong together,” she said.

“The biggest problems in our city are best solved when we are able to collaborate and work together. There are a variety of voices who have been around the table, and they have been cooperating with us at every step of the way. The last few months have been a testament to the good work that happens when we work with partners.”

Estimated cost of repairs provided

Calgary’s Chief Administrative Officer David Duckworth said that they’ve been keeping track of the costs of this project, which he said was much bigger than the last project.

The initial June repair of five hotspots was around $20 million to $25 million. Initial estimates for the recent 21 repairs will be around $15 million to $20 million.

“We have been able to better manage the cost of these recent repairs, although much bigger in scope than the work that was completed in June, because they were planned rather than an emergency,” CAO Duckworth said.

Director Bouchart said that there are some things Calgarians may expect to see over the coming days.

Calgarians may see cloudy water or a chlorine smell with the water. He said the water is safe to drink, however. Also, with the lifting of outdoor water restrictions, the non-potable water stations around the city will be closed Sunday night.

Some work will continue on other areas, with two other repairs coming in October and November along Memorial Drive, in the community of Parkdale.

“These repairs are much smaller in scope and won’t require citywide restrictions, because we can isolate these sections while keeping the feeder main running,” he said.

CAO Duckworth said that by the end of October, they expect to have detailed forensic reports from consultants, including the Pipe Diver results.

“Once we receive this report, we will be able to provide more details on its findings,” he said.

Finally, director Bouchart said they are working with area businesses impacted by all of the work in the area. He said that there will be recommendations coming forward at a future date.