As we near the middle of September temperatures continue to feel more like we’re still in the middle of July. Since Thursday, temperatures have remained well above seasonal in Calgary, including breaking a longstanding heat record on Friday afternoon.
Calgarians, however, are leaning into the heat, taking opportunities to enjoy being either out on or along the shores of the Bow River.
Calgary resident Steven Shepard says he is appreciating the hotter temperatures while they last.
“I’m actually enjoying it quite well. The heat has been nice, especially with our winters being so harsh,” Shepard said. “Usually I’ll try to get my errands done early in the morning, or I’ll go for a bike ride.”
Despite the hotter temperatures, Calgary’s overall water usage dropped by 9 million litres on Saturday for a total of 496 million litres of water. That brings water consumption down from “unsustainable” levels to “strained.”
City of Calgary potable water demand dashboard for Sept. 8, 2024.
City of Calgary director of climate and environment Carolyn Bowen thanked Calgarians for doing more to reduce water use, but stressed more needs to be done to prevent further strain on city infrastructure.
“Over the past few days we have experienced two significant issues: a pump failure and a malfunctioning component in our treatment process,” explained Bowen. “The team responded swiftly to address these concerns, but these incidents highlight the risks with maintaining high operational pressure over extended periods.”
As of Saturday, the number of bylaw complaints increased to 1,73 residential, 262 commercial and 115 multi-family, with four violation tickets being issued, raising the total to 26.
Bowen says ongoing repairs remain on schedule with one section nearly completed.
“On sites one to four, which are located on 33rd Ave N.W., and at Shouldice Park, we have completed all 12 pipe repairs,” Bowen said. “We are now in the final stages of backfilling and paving to bring the road back online.”
The city expects the remainder of the Bearspaw feeder main repairs to be completed by Sept. 23.