Due to the level four water restrictions in Airdrie, the Chinook Winds Regional Park will be closed until further notice. However, other area splash parks are open.
These include:
- The Carstairs Splashpark is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is located at the north end of Memorial Park beside the Curling Rink and adjacent to the playground.
- The Crossfield Splash Park located in Banta Park (at the corner of Railway Street and Limit Avenue) is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- The Olds Splash Park has a tentative opening date of June 17. Once open it is available from 8 a.m. till 9 p.m. daily, though it closes from 5:00 till 6:00 p.m. daily for maintenance. Admission is free. It's located at 5037 53 Street.
The Calgary water main break has not impacted Carstairs, Crossfield or Olds. Rocky View County has also not been affected, however, a Fire Ban is in effect in the entire county, as well as in Airdrie and Calgary.
On Sunday, The Alberta Emergency Alert system stated that due to the water feedermain break along 16 Avenue Northwest in Calgary, supply levels remain in a critical state, affecting the city's ability to provide water to communities and ensure adequate water is available to support emergency fire suppression.
"This alert remains in effect for all communities on Calgary's water supply, including Airdrie, Strathmore, and Chestermere," the advisory stated at 8:19 a.m. Sunday.
The City of Airdrie has also provided an update as of 11 a.m. on Sunday, stating that water use has decreased since restrictions were put in place on June 6, but there remains a risk demand could outstrip supply if water use increases.
"Businesses and residents are strongly encouraged to continue to voluntarily reduce indoor water usage and to only utilize water for essential needs. Airdrie’s top 100 water users have been contacted and asked for a voluntary reduction in usage."
The City has asked residents to report any violations to 403-948-8888.
"Development activities may continue if using non-potable water. Contractors have been notified that they can bring water from unaffected areas (Cochrane, Okotoks) with proper documentation. City pools and arenas continue to remain closed until further notice."
Airdrie continues to be under level four water restrictions and a fire ban. During level four outdoor water restrictions, Airdrie residents are asked to not:
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Water lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs by any method.
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Wash down any outdoor surfaces, including exterior building surfaces, windows, sidewalks, driveways, or walkways of any sort unless your business requires them to for health and safety reasons.
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Wash cars on driveways or streets.
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Fill outdoor decorative features, fountains, pools, or hot tubs.
- Use potable water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction, or dust control
There are no boil water advisories in effect within the City of Airdrie and water remains safe to drink.
"To ensure we share the water currently available, we are asking Airdrie residents to immediately restrict indoor water use by taking the following voluntary actions:"
- Use dishwasher and washing machine only when required and with full loads.
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Limit showers to five minutes or less and keep baths shallow.
- Scrape plates clean rather than rinsing food off.
- Turn off humidifiers and ice machines, delay washing vehicles,
- Businesses using large volumes of non-essential water, such as laundromats and car washes, are being asked to reduce water use.
- Businesses using water to deliver a product or service that is life-sustaining for people and animals are exempt. Other exemptions include any businesses that must use water to meet health code standards, such as health centres and restaurants.
On Sunday, The City of Calgary posted on its social media that on June 8, water consumption registered at 440 Megalitres (one Megaltire = one million litres). This is down 9 per cent from June 7.
"Thank you for reducing water usage wherever possible. It is making a difference [and] we need everyone to continue in these efforts."
Yesterday, Calgary city officials said that progress is being made as crews continue repairing a large water main break in the Bowness and Montgomery area, in northwest Calgary.
"Crews reached the damaged section of the critical water main yesterday and overnight continued clearing water, dirt and debris to assess the site of the leak. This critical water transmission line has severely impacted the supply in Calgary’s reservoirs and the ability to move water across the city," a city release stated.
On Saturday, crews were preparing the feeder main for inspection to determine the next steps and expect to begin cutting out the damaged section of the pipe.
"We are making good progress, however, it’s important to know this is a complex process and I want Calgarians to be prepared and understand that it will take some time to complete this repair," said Water Services Director Nancy Mackay.
Mackay estimates it may take up to a week before the situation is resolved. Despite the progress being made to start repairing the break, Calgarians and Airdronians are being asked to continue doing their part to reduce water use.
"There are still many unknowns, and we want to ensure we take the time to do this right."
Calgary officials have also echoed the message of a continued need for water conservation.
"As Calgarians enjoy the weekend, we remind you we have an active fire ban in place to prevent any unnecessary fires," said Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief, Sue Henry.
"This allows for our Fire Department to ensure they have water available for any critical firefighting work. Since Thursday, we’ve received 300 calls on water misuse, the majority of those have been resolved. We’ve also received 23 calls related to the fire ban that we are following up on," Henry added.
The main break occurred on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday morning an Alberta Emergency alert was issued, alerting residents of a water supply alert. The alert advisory remains in effect for all communities on Calgary's water supply, including Airdrie, Strathmore, and Chestermere.
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