Calgary water main repairs could take 3-5 more weeks, after scans reveal deficiencies in the pipe

Water restrictions could be in place for three to five more weeks in Calgary, after a scan of a broken water main revealed five more locations inside the pipe that are in need of repair.

Water restrictions could be in place for three to five more weeks in Calgary, after a scan of a broken water main revealed five more locations inside the pipe that are in need of repair.

The work will extend the timeline for repairs and the restoration of water services.

“Simply put, we cannot take the chance of further pipe breaks on the long-term sustainability of this pipe,” said Susan Henry, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.

“Our only choice is to stay the course with our current water restrictions for three to five weeks longer, and do these critical repairs now. We need to double down and get this job done.”

The city’s Calgary Emergency Management Agency shared the findings of the scan during a press conference on Friday afternoon.

“I know that means asking all of us to keep our water use lower than usual, it also means that we have identified potential issues that could have led to another unexpected break,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said.

City crews sent robots equipped with sensors into the pipe, which scanned more than four kilometres of the feeder main.