'Peak Toilet' Crisis in Calgary's Northwest

Calgary's northwest is in a development freeze until a second sewer trunk can be built through Bowness to accommodate the increase in sewer usage.

Currently, the City of Calgary took extra measures allowing 183 homes, the northwest recreation centre, the Tuscany fire station and a middle school in Royal Oak to finish construction. Nothing else will be built until the "peak toilet" crisis is resolved. The "peak toilet" crisis means that the current sewer system cannot handle any more flushes until the second sewer trunk is built, which won't be until 2017.

City officials learned that Bowness' sewer main is already overburdened, so any new growth along with heavy rain storms would create a greater risk of sewage backup into homes.

In the next couple of months protective sleeves will be inserted to line the aging, cracked pipes, this will prevent groundwater from seeping into the pipes, which will ease pressure on the sewer main.

Some developments will be allowed to use special systems, such as trucking away wastewater, that won't burden the sewer system.

Planned subdivisions such as the ones in Tuscany and Rock Creek aren't going to be accommodated yet.

Tagged: Calgary Development | Calgary Real Estate | Calgary Real Estate News | City of Calgary