Calgary, one of the most populated cities in Canada, has been facing a serious drinking water crisis for several days. The situation has pushed the mayor, Jyoti Gondek, to implement special measures and request support to drastically reduce consumption. Last Saturday, Calgary (1.4 million inhabitants) declared a state of emergency. “It was not a decision taken lightly,” said Gondek, emphasizing that reversing this scenario requires a complex operation.
On June 5, the pipeline that transports 60% of the city’s drinking water began to register abnormal pressure. Shortly thereafter, some arterial roads suffered flooding. Two days later, workers identified the specific site of the rupture. Municipal authorities asked the population to limit water consumption and ordered companies that do not provide essential services to stop their use, in addition to issuing notices to boil it in the northwest neighborhoods of the city. The problem, according to city officials, would be resolved in a maximum of seven days.
However, a robot used to inspect the four kilometers of the pipeline identified five additional cracks last Friday. Repairing these damages will take between three and five weeks. In this way, the mayor’s office found it necessary to declare a state of emergency a day later. Mayor Gondek indicated that these extraordinary powers allow work to be carried out on private land without requesting prior authorization, as well as hiring additional personnel and, if necessary, turning off the tap on municipal properties.
Jyoti Gondek asked the city’s inhabitants to make an additional effort so that water reserves do not reach minimum levels. For example, limit washing clothes. He also asked companies to resort more to teleworking to reduce showers among their employees. For her part, Nancy Mackay, director of Calgary’s drinking water service, said at a press conference: “We don’t need people to wash their cars right now.”
Mayor Gondek has indicated that all these works will generate road traffic problems, but she trusts in the patience of the city’s inhabitants. The time that this series of works will take is largely due to the fact that two segments of the pipeline that must be replaced come from manufacturing sites located in the United States.
The city of Calgary, located in the province of Alberta (west of the country) is famous for being the headquarters of Canada’s main oil companies and for its attachment to rodeo and music. country. The Stampede festival, the largest Canadian event for these cultural expressions, takes place every summer in this city. Despite the problems generated by the pipeline, both municipal authorities and its organizers have confirmed that this year’s edition – scheduled from July 5 to 14 – is still on. Due to this special situation, the use of non-potable water is contemplated for cleaning tasks, as well as the transportation of liquid for human and animal consumption.
Join Morning Express to follow all the news and read without limits.
Subscribe
Follow all the international information on Facebook and xor in our weekly newsletter.