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Work to resume on Calgary water pipe after injuries; consumption continues to rise

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Calgarians are being urged to keep reducing their water use as work to repair a major water main stretches into a second day in Calgary, Friday, June 7, 2024. Repair work on a fractured Calgary water pipe has been paused after two workers were injured at the site last night. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Repairs to a fractured Calgary water pipe were set to resume after two workers were injured at the site, while the city’s mayor pleads with residents to step up their conservation efforts.

Chris Collier, the city’s director of occupational safety, says welding the replacement pipe can continue after provincial officials gave the go-ahead.

Two workers were taken to hospital Wednesday night, and one remains there with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Infrastructure director Francois Bouchard says the injuries are likely to delay the repairs by a day or two.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jyoti Gondek is renewing her plea to Calgarians to conserve water after the last few days have seen consistent increases in consumption.

Gondek says the crisis is real and that the city’s water use is now well above the threshold required for Calgary to have enough water to deal with emergencies such as firefighting.