Downtown Calgary and the Bow River are seen from the air on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Calgary officials are monitoring the city's water supply following a sewer pipe leak in a municipality upstream on the Bow River, but the city says its tap water remains safe to drink. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Calgary officials are monitoring the city’s water supply following a sewer pipe leak in a municipality upstream on the Bow River, but the city says its tap water remains safe to drink.
Alberta issued a biological hazard advisory late Saturday, stating a main sewer line break within the Town of Cochrane was causing an overland sewage discharge into the Bow at a bridge along Highway 22.
The alert, which has since been cancelled, said Cochrane drinking water was not affected and remained safe, but people should avoid the area to allow crews to respond to the incident.
Calgary issued a news release on Sunday morning saying it has seen no change in water quality at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant, but as a precaution, it’s asking people to stay out of the Bow River for the rest of the day.
A Sunday post on the town of Cochrane website says its water remains safe for drinking but restrictions on water use, including any outdoor water use, are in effect.
The town said wastewater was no longer entering the river, but corrected that several hours later to say the discharge had only been “significantly reduced.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2023.
