After having to conserve water for weeks because of a burst water main, residents in Calgary and surrounding areas will soon have to do the same again.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced on Wednesday that expanded testing of more than 10 kilometers of pipes had revealed 16 more problem spots that needed to be fixed.

Work at these points is expected to begin in approximately three weeks, on August 28, and last for a month.

This means that from Aug. 26, the city’s 1.6 million residents and those in surrounding communities will be encouraged to save water indoors again, and a ban on outdoor watering will resume, Gondek said.

“I understand how much this affects your life,” Gondek said, emphasizing that preventive maintenance is done to ensure the city does not experience another catastrophic water main burst.

“I know this is not the news any of us want to hear. At the same time, I am grateful to have this important information that will allow us to take action to protect our water system from potential outages that could affect anyone in the Calgary area.”

Communities affected outside the city limits include Airdrie, Tsuut’ina Nation, Strathmore and Chestermere.

Calgary residents were asked to reduce their toilet flushing and washing of laundry and dishes after a water main burst on June 5.

Before Gondek’s latest announcement, voluntary indoor restrictions were being lifted, while mandatory outdoor restrictions were being gradually reduced.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.

— By Lisa Johnson in Edmonton