Bell: Calgary water crisis is coming to an end, now comes the investigation

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Almost there. Calgary is preparing for the all-clear that water flow through the pipeline will return to normal.

That’s what Mayor Gondek told us on Sunday morning.

But not everything will be normal. There is still the all-important third-party investigation to find out what went wrong and who did what, and Calgary city councillors are getting the ball rolling on Wednesday.

Giving these yet-to-be-selected individuals studying the story of the burst water main and the Calgary water crisis the freedom to examine the whys and wherefores would have to be frightening.

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Now we have been informed that the investigation into the rupture of Calgary’s largest water main will begin as soon as possible and be completed by Halloween.

Good thing. Halloween.

When we learn the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the results will undoubtedly fit all the ghosts, goblins and skeletons that roam the streets of the city.

However, the results of this so-called independent commission of inquiry into the water supply fiasco in the city will by no means be made up.

It will be very real.

Probably really ugly.

And that’s just what we already know.

But remember, this is Calgary City Hall.

A city hall with a mayor and a city council whose unpopularity is higher than ever, and with city hall bosses whose first instinct is to protect themselves or to kill us with duplicity.

Do they really want to expect that a sensational report will appear on the street that will put them and/or the mayor under pressure?

Or will it be a “review” because a “review” was necessary after this disaster to reassure the citizens?

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On Wednesday, a report from the city hall leadership will be presented to a city council committee chaired by Sonya Sharp.

Sharp is a city councilman who recently spoke with this writer here about how chaos reigns at City Hall and the city’s response to the burst water main leaves much to be desired.

Sharp vowed to fight to get to the bottom of the incidents and ensure nothing is swept under the rug.

The report from the town hall administration explains how the commission to investigate the water pipe fiasco will be composed.

City Hall leadership wants the independent panel to report to City Hall leadership.

The city administration recommends submitting the report there by Halloween and then presenting it to the city council in November.

Let us hope that the report is not a catastrophic failure.

After all, we didn’t get the right products from the start.

We were told there had been a catastrophic error. The pipe had burst. Just like that.

Were there any leaks in the line? And remember, this is the city’s main water supply?

We were told there were no leaks.

So were there inspections?

We were led to believe that the line had recently been inspected and some sort of maintenance had been carried out.

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The city subsequently announced that it had no information about any inspections.

Then 24 hours later they had information. Acoustic monitoring was done. Modeling was done. They found no problem.

How did they explain that nothing was picked up?

Mayor Jyoti Gondek intervened. End of questioning.

But there was a problem. A big problem. There hadn’t been an inspection for years.

Then there is the lifespan of the pipe. Deep thinkers assumed that the lifespan of the pipe is about 50 years, which leads to the question of why a 49-year-old pipe was not inspected.

The city stated that the line had a lifespan of 100 years.

Then earlier this year the city council was informed about the city’s leaky pipes and some councillors said in calm tones that they had been told not to worry.

Nothing to worry about. No leaks. Then an unexplained catastrophic failure.

You know the rest of the story.

Finally looking at the city’s largest water main, the city announced late Friday that five hot spots on the line needed to be repaired.

A local state of emergency was declared and people from the private sector who know how to do business began to take care of the business.

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We were told it would take three to five weeks for the water to flow again.

Not to mention that Gondek blames the provincial government for what happened, even though the city is flush with cash and has received money from the province, the water system should be self-sustaining, and the city says there were no problems anyway.

Everything is so confusing.

The bottom line is that no stone should be left unturned in this investigation.

Maybe a report from Blue Sky City can be more than a PR job.

Because ultimately the big question remains.

Do they really want to be held accountable?

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