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Though Calgarians might face more restrictions in the short term, Black says it is not unrealistic for the city to complete the replacement of the Bearspaw south feeder main within one year.

“We were always looking at replacement of that pipe eventually, it's just fast-forwarding that process,” she said.

But she cautions that issues can crop up during the next 365 days and people should be prepared for delays.

“Anyone who's worked in public infrastructure will know, things can get in the way,” Black said.

We're wrapping up this live page now, but you can get further updates on this story at cbc.ca/calgary.

While restrictions might have lifted, there’s a good chance they will come back — and it wouldn’t even take another break for that to happen.

In his Jan. 10 water main update, Farkas said the city will be doing work on the pipe in the spring and fall that's likely to trigger more water conservation measures.

Kerry Black, a civil engineering professor at the University of Calgary, says it’s a good reminder to Calgarians to be more aware of how much water they use, and how they can cut back year-round.

“Don't use it if you don't need it, is the moral to the story,” Black said.

She also suggests keeping an emergency supply of 48 to 72 hours worth of water if you’re able, should another crisis arise.

Outside the Safeway in Montgomery, I broke the news to Esther Zeegers that Calgarians are finally free to use as much water as they want.

"I'm glad that it's over," said Zeegers.

She said the worst part about the last few weeks was keeping showers under three minutes — a nearly impossible feat. So, what’s the first thing on her to-do list today?

"Take a nice, long shower."

Fellow Calgarian Gregory Smyth is cautiously optimistic about the latest development.

While he's also looking forward to a guilt-free shower, he's bracing for yet another water main break.

"There's a lot of water to go under the bridge before we're back to normal. Hopefully I'll still be alive then."

To give you an idea of how large the repaired section of pipe is, the city says it took the equivalent of nine Olympic-sized swimming pools of water to refill it.

In his news conference, Farkas was very clear in saying that accountability for the system and the work to replace the pipe lies fully with him.

The mayor said it is his responsibility to fix the issues with the system as highlighted in the independent panel review into the 2024 break of the same feeder main.

“If you’re looking for someone to blame, you can blame me,” Farkas said.

Alberta government to review Calgary's water infrastructure

The province is asking city council to provide all documents related to water main management, including testing results, infrastructure status reports and other documents dating back to 2004.

The Alberta government announced its own review of Calgary's water system earlier this week.

Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams recognized the city's work to restore water service as soon as possible, but told the mayor the province can't ignore Calgarians' concerns that another break might be possible — something the city has admitted is very much a possibility.

Today I have directed the City of Calgary administration, under the authority of the Municipal Government Act, to provide a broad set of historic and current documentation related to Calgary’s water infrastructure and asset management to support the province’s understanding and… <a href="https://t.co/oTDw5XhaiQ">pic.twitter.com/oTDw5XhaiQ</a>

As the city gears up to drastically accelerate the replacement of the Bearspaw south feeder main, two companies have been hired to make it happen.

Thompson said contracts have been awarded to Ward & Burke and Graham Construction. The city is now ordering materials and mobilizing equipment for the work ahead.

Farkas said faster approvals and faster procurement will be critical to getting the project done in its new, sped-up timeline.

The immediate lifting of water restrictions has come as a huge relief to the team at Bubble Tea Brewers, located on Bowness Road.

The shop needs water for everything it sells, said manager Mariel Joson, whose parents own the business.

For nearly a week after the water main ruptured, staff had to boil all the water before serving it. Drinks took much longer to prepare. It also meant they couldn’t use their ice machine.

“Some of the other locations allowed us to get some of their water and then we had to haul those jugs in. They’re very heavy. Bunch of bags of ice and everything,” said Joson.

Under Stage 4 water restrictions, she said they tried their best to conserve water where possible. Joson is glad they won’t have to be so restricted anymore.

But she said they’re preparing to go through it all again in the spring and fall — when the city does further repairs of the Bearspaw feeder main.

As the news conference wraps up, here’s an indication of how pessimistic Calgary is that the pipe will break again after doing so twice within 18 months: Crews and gear will be on standby from now until the feeder main is fully replaced, ready to respond to another failure at any point, infrastructure service general manager Michael Thompson said.

The city has equipment in the field; pumps ready to go to bail out a burst; and steel pipes, adapters and equipment ready to patch another breakage.

Farkas has called the pipeline “sick” and a “ticking time bomb” — and he wants it replaced within a year.

That’s in line with the recommendation from the independent review panel, which recommended accelerating construction of the steel pipe replacement within 12 to 14 months. Previously, the city’s timeline was to have the project completed by 2028.

“For the next 365 days, this has to be our civic mission,” said Farkas.

Farkas compared it to other feats the city has achieved in the past under tight timelines, like preparing for the 1988 Olympics in five years, and building the Saddledome in about two.

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