Calgary in western Canada lifts extreme water rationing

OTTAWA: Calgary on Tuesday lifted extreme water rationing that had forced residents of the western Canadian city to massively reduce bathing, washing of dishes or watering of gardens for nearly a month.

The restrictions were brought in suddenly on June 6 after a major pipe broke. Some 1.6 million residents of the city in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains woke up to an emergency notice issued to mobile phones and broadcasters that morning advising that water levels were critical.

Several nearby towns that rely on Calgary for water were also affected by the disruption.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek told a news conference on Tuesday that the water main -- which supplies water from the Bow River to most of the city -- has been repaired and “indoor water use can now return to normal.”

“We look forward to slowly restoring outdoor water use as we continue to monitor the system stabilization process,” she added.

For 26 days, residents endured scorching summer heat, while dispensing with showers or shaving, and collecting rainwater in buckets for non-potable uses.

Portable toilets were set up across the city and bottled water was widely distributed, as officials waited for a replacement pipe to arrive from San Diego, California.

Meanwhile, wildfire crews and equipment were brought in from the Canadian wilds to assist city firefighters in case any blazes broke out, as most fire hydrants lacked water pressure.