Major Water Main Break in Bowness Area

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I just chuckle at the pearl clutching about the danger to the public here compared to what happens on our roads the other 364 days a year, which is something the city could absolutely control better.

WTF does this even mean?

[PaperBagger'14]

There was a video circulating of Farkas down at the location of the main break “assisting and supporting the work crews”. Yeah ok chief, field workers love when a bunch of white hats show up with a film crew to “assist”. I had met Gondek when she was at the first main break, she showed up a few times too.

Either way good on him for responding to the incident, even if it was all performative.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

WTF does this even mean?

I think he's referring to the pedestrian deaths.

[8 Ball]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I think he's referring to the pedestrian deaths.

And not wrong really

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by 8 Ball

And not wrong really

Pedestrian deaths (or even car accident deaths) vs safe drinking water supply for 100s or thousands of people?

I think lack of water is a more severe risk

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I'm jaded against Farkas but this strikes me as performative bull####. An emergency meeting would be wasteful and counterproductive. What value can the mayor/councillors provide at this stage? At least its not a climate emergency or something. This never would have happened if they dealt with the flag raisings more urgently.

The potential loss of life for the motorists caught in this situation is certainly concerning, but no more concerning than the 35 funerals this year caused by the crisis on our roads (nevermind thousands of injuries). Now that's something that would have been worth an emergency meeting where city council could actually make an immediate and dramatic difference. But I suppose we should just tell the orphans and widows out there to be thankful if they aren't having to boil water right now. Such pain. Such tragedy.

To clear the confusion and side discussion on this, perhaps people should just read his original post again, above. He's just pointing out the difference in response between a risk of harm for drivers and boiling water vs the lack of action and emergency around actual preventable predictable deaths.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Pedestrian deaths (or even car accident deaths) vs safe drinking water supply for 100s or thousands of people?

I think lack of water is a more severe risk

I think both are pretty damn serious and demand appropriate attention.

[PepsiFree]

The comment wasn’t about drinking water, it was about the immediate danger of a pipe bursting under a road.

EDIT: what Fuzz said, I skipped ahead

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Pedestrian deaths (or even car accident deaths) vs safe drinking water supply for 100s or thousands of people?

I think lack of water is a more severe risk

Living under a boil water advisory for any period of time would be a massive inconvenience and I'd probably be losing my mind if I was affected. It totally sucks for 3000 businesses and homes. But nobody died in June 2024 or October 2024 or in this latest incident, and I can't imagine (m)any people suffered real health consequences from it.

But in that time about 50 people have died with another 4500 injury collisions on Calgary roads. A bunch of these crashes injured multiple people, and many of the injuries are life changing injuries.

The former is a crisis requiring outrage and heads to roll because they didn't spend a bunch of money to prevent it. The latter is accepted as business as usual because we can't be bothered to maintain/increase enforcement. Which could generate a lot of revenue and reduce a lot of other crash-related costs (including lost productivity from dead and injured people) And all money that could be spent on things like pipes.


So I just object to sensationalizing the frightening experience that a dozen motorists had on 16th the other night (which would have been absolutely terrifying with kids in your car) to suggest the feedermain emergency is a bigger crisis than it really is. The situation sucks, but everyone has made it home safe to their families and AFAIK nobody woke up in a hospital bed with lifelong injuries.

[Engine09]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

There was a video circulating of Farkas down at the location of the main break “assisting and supporting the work crews”. Yeah ok chief, field workers love when a bunch of white hats show up with a film crew to “assist”. I had met Gondek when she was at the first main break, she showed up a few times too.

Either way good on him for responding to the incident, even if it was all performative.

I guess at least he's trying to seem engaged but I guarantee him "assisting" slowed down the operation and was a distraction. Nothing worse than a bunch of office nerds poking their noses around being a nuisance.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Old news! Calgarians are awesome. Even completely hungover and needing extra hydration, they still skipped washing 2025 off of them in a long hot bath.





https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrI...czNGVhZjE5NiJ9

Why would it spike up on the day of? Is it actual usage or strain on the system.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Why would it spike up on the day of? Is it actual usage or strain on the system.

I attribute to humanity and just the way some operate. The same thing happened with Covid and people hoarding.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Why would it spike up on the day of? Is it actual usage or strain on the system.

My guess was it's the water that came bursting out

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Why would it spike up on the day of? Is it actual usage or strain on the system.

It's measuring the water being lost through the break.


Pumps increase flow to make up for the pressure being lost, so the bigger the break will result in a higher reading.

[WhiteTiger]

Farkas has posted a pic of the damaged pipe.


https://x.com/JeromyYYC/status/2006898564920721452

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Farkas has posted a pic of the damaged pipe.


https://x.com/JeromyYYC/status/2006898564920721452

Yup, looks broken.

Spoiler!

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Engine09

I guess at least he's trying to seem engaged but I guarantee him "assisting" slowed down the operation and was a distraction. Nothing worse than a bunch of office nerds poking their noses around being a nuisance.

That’s my belief too, I didn’t have anything to do with this failing so I can’t speak to Farkas but I too appreciate his involvement.

Gondek was receptive, courteous and appreciative in my brief interactions with her.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Who built this city?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I think he's referring to the pedestrian deaths.

Have there been a higher than normal amount? And what exactly would prevent pedestrian deaths? A certain number of people getting hit by cars is inevitable and doesn't seem at all analogous to repeated major infrastructure failures.

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Who built this city?

We did. On rock and roll, no less.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

We did. On rock and roll, no less.

Which, if I'm honest, is a less than spectacularly stable foundation.