Repairs on the critical water main break in Calgary continued Monday, and the city says the threat of cancelling summer events like Stampede due to water restrictions is not on the table.
Officials, including the deputy chief of Calgary Emergency Management Agency Coby Duerr, Mayor Jyoti Gondek, and Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley, were on hand Monday afternoon to provide an update on the.
Duerr said that they have been working on contingency plans with the Stampede to not drive up additional water use, and they aren’t seeing a significant uptick in demand when reviewing the past five years of daily water usage during Stampede week.
Duerr mentioned that they are confident water usage during Stampede won’t be an issue due to lots of Calgarians leaving town during the event, and water usage is weather dependent, with early July sometimes bringing big storms can also provide hefty rainfall totals, reducing the need for water use outdoors.
“We feel we can look forward to a great Stampede. Calgarians are worried that the sacrifices they are making will be surpassed by visitors. We just ask when you are in this city, you are one of us. Please follow all the restrictions, everyone is doing their part,” Duerr added.
Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley said the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth will seek to offset the use of Calgary treated water during the 10-day festival.
That will involve using nonpotable water, which could be used to groom the Stampede’s track, performance arenas, and some cleaning purposes with the “proper additives.”
Cowley added officials with the Stampede are also looking into transporting in treated water, primarily to support its livestock population that grows during the event, with an average of about 1,000 head of livestock on the park each day.
It will also look at ways to bring in treated water to provide to visitors, and in instances where they have no choice but to use Calgary’s treated water, conservation measures will be implemented.
For more information on the water main break and the current restrictions, you can visit the City of Calgary website here.