Tag: water crisis

September 12, 2024

• Graves Bridge (Map Link)
• Hours of Operation 5AM-7PM, 7 days a week

September 3, 2024

Calgary Water Crisis Update - Labour Day 

 Stage 4 water restrictions continue and as such no outdoor watering is permitted with potable water from a City of Calgary source.   

 Landscape Alberta’s advocacy around the free water pumping stations for commercial users appears to have been successful with an additional water pumping location added and additional stations and connection types at each location, which has resulted in little to no wait times.  This of course only serves a portion of the industry.   

On September 3rd, the City of Calgary announced changes to pumping procedures that have resulted in additional daily capacity.  We’ve engaged with the City already to discuss the potential of movement to Stage 3 water restrictions given this news.  Ongoing, we continue to request financial support for impacted businesses and will work with the City in their review of the water use by-law to ensure equitable treatment for landscape / horticultural businesses in the updates. 

August 28, 2024

August 23, 2024

Please see the below message from the City of Calgary regarding the implementation of Stage 4 Restrictions beginning at 12:01 am on August 26th.

Landscape Alberta has been working very hard to find solutions to this devastating scenario for many in the Calgary landscape industry. This included requesting equitable treatment for business operations, including special allowances for watering for establishment periods and for construction. Given the current bylaw language, and the real fear of system collapse (including boil water orders between now and spring 2025) we have been working with the City in other ways.

This includes expansion of the water pumping locations to include longer hours, more stations with more hookup sizes, and a priority for business use. Those waiting on CCC and FAC inspections may see more lenience in plant material quality.

The City of Calgary has also committed to working with Landscape Alberta and it’s members on updates to the water usage bylaw in the near future. This will be an important phase that we can ensure more equitable treatment for our industry for the important work we do.   

Please see yesterday’s email for a more detailed look at the ongoing efforts, and feel free to send suggestions, thoughts, rants, your story to yycwater@landscape-alberta.com so we can continue to advocate on your behalf. 

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As you may have heard in the media, The City is preparing to undertake urgent repairs of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main to maintain the health and stability of Calgary’s water system. To complete these repairs, we must once again take the Bearspaw South Feeder Main out of service. 

Unfortunately, this means that starting on Monday August 26^th at 12:01 am we need a temporary return to Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions. We will also be asking businesses and residents to limit their indoor water use like we did in June. This work is expected to be complete by the end of September. 

About Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions  

Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions prohibits all outdoor potable water use including:  

• Watering lawns, gardens, flowers, trees, and shrubs using city water 
• Washing down any outdoor surfaces, including exterior building surfaces, windows, sidewalks, driveways, or walkways of any sort (unless your business requires it for health and safety reasons) 
• Filling outdoor decorative features, fountains, pools, or hot tubs  
• Using potable water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction, or dust control.  

Non-potable river water pick-up locations 

During these Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions, The City will be reopening non-potable river water pick up locations with designated hours to support businesses and residents.    

Non-potable water will be available for collection from three sites beginning August 26th: 

• West Baker Park boat launch 
• Ogden boat launch 
• Bankside

Hours of operation will be 5am to 7pm daily for commercial use, and 4pm to 7pm daily for residential use. 

Indoor water use reductions 

In addition to the Stage 4 Outdoor Water Restrictions, we are also asking residents and businesses to reduce their indoor water use by 25 per cent to ensure that we have enough water to meet essential needs until the repairs are complete.     

About the upcoming repairs 

After the initial June break and hot spot repairs were completed and the feeder main returned to service, we used a device called a PipeDiver to do an inspection of the entire length of the feeder main, which is 10.4 kilometres.  

Our teams have been working alongside external experts to analyze the PipeDiver data. The data has revealed several new locations that need urgent repair. Some of these spots need to be repaired during this upcoming repair phase, while others will be addressed in our medium-to-long-term pipe rehabilitation plans.  

While the repairs are being completed, the Bearspaw South Feeder Main will be offline. Without this feeder main, Calgary’s available supply of treated water is greatly diminished. We need to work together to ensure enough water remains available for everyone, as well as for critical uses like hospitals and firefighting. 

Timing of the repairs 

These new repair locations are places where we are concerned that the pipe is at risk of breaking in the near term. These repairs will maintain service until a comprehensive rehabilitation plan is implemented. 

Timing was also influenced by the need to reduce reliance on the Glenmore Treatment Plant before winter water storage becomes critical in September. It’s important to understand that these repairs are planned, preventive, measures to maintain the pipe’s integrity until long-term solutions are finalized. 

Please visit calgary.ca/watermainbreak for regular updates. You can also visit calgary.ca/savewateratwork for tips on how your business sector can conserve water. 

August 22 – Update on City of Calgary Water Crisis

It’s been a busy week as with rush towards August 26^th.  The letter to the Mayor / Press release from last week has led to serious interaction with Council, City staff, the media, industry and the public.

The Landscape Alberta working group continues to work towards meaningful solutions to the crisis for industry.  It has become clearer this week that the City lacks the ability to grant our request for exemption to Stage 3 for the landscape industry.  We’ve gathered data that suggest the landscape industry for new plantings and construction activity only would consume approximately 3.95 mega liters per day, or about 1% of the total restricted volume.  The current water use bylaw does not allow for exemption of one industry, as it only describes usage.  Combined with many other requests to the City, the cumulative total of potential exempt water use would put the system at real risk of failure.

What we’ve heard back.

1. Additional water stations with additional pumps will be added starting August 26^th with a focus on contractor usage.
   • Sites include Baker Park, Odgen and now Bankside in Fish Creek.
   • Non-city stormwater ponds can be used for up to 6,250 cubic metres of water if provincial guidelines are met.
2. The process for CCC and FAC cannot be granted a blanket exemption, but the City does offer to view sites based on the lack of water access this year as a mitigating factor in granting approvals.
3. Air is unable to be used for testing irrigation systems due the inspection standards required.

What we have asked for as additional support from the City of Calgary.

1. Increased pumping locations and expanded hours of operation (5:00-22:00 daily)
2. A permit system to allow for turf projects above 1000 sqft to be established. Would require registration/approval.
3. Access to grant funds or tax rebates to assist companies in the additional costs of operations, including labour/equipment.
4. Additional support for the water alternatives message and the importance of green infrastructure – we are the original environmentalists and not wasteful with water as some might have been led to believe.

Landscape Alberta will continue to advocate on behalf of the entire landscape industry in a professional and productive manner.  We understand frustrations are sky high right now, but we also need to ensure a healthy relationship with City administration as we move into consultations on the water use bylaw and other policy.   The future decisions will have long reaching and lasting impacts on the industry, and we need to be sure a more favourable position for the landscape sector.  After August 26^th, we will work with City officials to monitor the ongoing water usage to evaluate if the actual consumption changes such that our original requests might be revisited.

What can you do?

1. Please direct feedback to City of Calgary Staff to yycwater@landscape-alberta.com instead of directly to staff contacts.  We’ve had reports of unproductive, unprofessional language – which is frankly unacceptable.
2. Write your councillor / Mayor and thank them for being responsive. Ask for additional support, including the items above.
3. Plan for extra time, extra hours, and work that doesn’t involve water (if there is any of that left) or look to projects outside City limits.
4. Find water totes to outfit your trucks and trailers with the ability to take advantage of water pumping and hauling options.
5. Educate customers about alternative methods to assist with watering with non-potable water sources and the impacts they can have to keeping their landscape projects successful.
6. Pray for enough rain for the plants, but not so much that any time is lost on work.

Landscape Alberta is deeply concerned for the well-being of its Calgary based member companies and their employees’ livelihoods if they are unable to work through another round of stage 4 water restrictions.  The City of Calgary will essentially shut down an entire industry during one of the busiest points of the year, approximately 20% of all planting is done in September each year. 

With immediate repairs required by the City of Calgary they have all but ended the landscape season for many in the area.   Nearly 50% of the 2024 landscape season will now be lost.  Most companies are reporting the need for widespread layoffs (40-60% of staff). 

We are asking the Mayor Gondek, City Council, and staff to please find a solution that will keep us working to make Calgary a green place to live, work and play. 

Landscape Alberta has requested the following main items: 

1. The landscape industry be permitted to operate at Stage 3 rules regarding watering for establishment of new plants and for construction activities (i.e. pouring and cutting concrete)
2. Remove all water restrictions ahead of shutdown to allow for increased watering schedules.
3. Amend city inspection standards and practices to allow for projects to be completed this year. (thus, unlocking progress or completion payments that would otherwise be delayed 6 months)

Let’s Talk Gardening Podcast – August 18, 2024

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City News August 18, 2024