Stampede CEO Joel Cowley
Calgary officials are reassuring residents and tourists planning to visit over the next month that water restrictions won’t put a damper on fun.
But the first few weeks of summer will look different, as the city continues to fix a major water main that has forced most to restrict their water use.
The Calgary Stampede is still planned to start July 5 but will be using recycled water for cleaning, while limiting the number of times grandstand seats are cleaned.
Stampede CEO Joel Cowley spoke with reporters on Monday.
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Calgary hotel pools will close. Messages will also be posted encouraging guests to take shorter showers.
All outdoor watering is banned and residents have been asked to reduce toilet flushes, take shorter showers and do fewer loads of laundry and dishes.
While people have been meeting a target of reducing their water use by 25 per cent or more, things went from bad to worse late last week.
While fixing the water line, which provides 60 per cent of the city’s water, crews discovered five more weak spots in need of repair.
On Saturday, the city declared a state of local emergency, a move intended mainly to allow access to private property to effect repairs.
According to the city, the first ruptured area has been fixed. Crews are now focused on repairing the five other areas. That work is expected to take three to five weeks.
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