Calgary is under Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions — and residents are being asked to cut back indoors too — as crews work through a four-week repair of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, the critical pipeline that supplies water to Calgary and several neighbouring communities including Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore, and Tsuut'ina Nation.

Early signs are encouraging. As of Monday, Calgarians were already hitting the target, with daily water use coming in at 496 million litres — just under the 500 million litre daily goal the city needs to stay below while the feeder main is out of service.

Saving 25 litres per person per day is enough to make a real difference, and it doesn't take much — skip a toilet flush here, shorten your shower by a minute there, wait for a full load before running the dishwasher or washing machine.

On the construction side, excavation is now underway at sites along 16 Avenue N.W. near Sarcee Trail and at Point McKay Park. Once the pipe is fully exposed, crews will reinforce it with a steel cage and concrete casing across nine sections. Drivers on 16 Avenue N.W. near Sarcee Trail should expect lane reductions and slow-moving traffic for the duration of the work.

Residents in Bowness, Montgomery, and Parkdale can also visit the Community Resource Centre at the Bowness Community Association — open Monday through Thursday — for information, support, and help connecting to city services. For updates and water-saving tips, visit calgary.ca/savewater.