Cochrane isolates water main break, asks residents to continue conserving water

A town west of Calgary says crews have isolated the pipe break that led to water restrictions in the community, but it has asked its residents to continue conserving water during the repairs.

And Thursday afternoon, the Town of Cochrane lifted its state of local emergency.

Cochrane declared a local state of emergency this week after an accident Saturday affected its water and wastewater pipelines, causing sewage to flow into the Bow River.

There haven’t been any issues with water quality in town or in downstream communities such as Calgary, but there had been significant water loss in Cochrane because crews were unable to isolate the water line to start repairs.

Town officials said in an online update that water is no longer leaking from that pipe and repairs have begun.

2:09 Cochrane declares state of emergency as water supply critically low

• Cochrane declares state of emergency as water supply critically low
• Town of Cochrane asks residents to limit water use after pipelines damaged
• Impact of wastewater line rupture into Bow River in Cochrane, Alta. still unknown

Previous Video

Next Video

It had asked the town’s 32,000 residents, as well as its businesses, to follow emergency mandatory water conservation to make sure there was water available for fire suppression and other emergencies.

They say those efforts have been helpful and the town has stopped hauling in water from other communities, but asks residents to keep being careful with their water use.

“Significant progress has been made, and the Town of Cochrane encourages residents and businesses to continue conserving water,” said an update Thursday.

“In addition to the essential use of water to maintain personal health and hygiene, residents can take quick showers, complete an emergency load of laundry or wash dishes as a result of the improving water reservoir levels.”

After the state of emergency was lifted, officials thanked the community for their support and cooperation.

“Thank you to all residents and businesses for responding to our state of local emergency and doing your part to reduce our water usage during this critical time,” Shawn Polley, deputy director of emergency management, said in a statement.

“As crews diligently work to finalize the water line repair, we kindly request that residents remain conscientious about their water consumption. Although the pipe is no longer leaking, our water system is still in the process of recovering, and the collaborative efforts of our community will help strengthen its capacity.”

–with files from Adam Toy, Global News