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January 16, 2026
CITY OF CALGARY WATER WOES
The Latest
All water restrictions in Calgary have been lifted after the Bearspaw feeder main was restored to full service.
At a news conference this afternoon, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said it's worth celebrating the lifting of restrictions, but the patched-up main must be replaced as quickly as possible.
Officials have been asking Calgarians to conserve water for more than two weeks, ever since the south feeder main broke at the end of December.
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.
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.
On January 14 Minister Dan Williams directed the City of Calgary Administration, under the Authority of the Municipal Government Act to provide a broad set of current and historic documentation related to Calgary’s water infrastructure and asset management to support the province’s understanding and prevent future breaks. See the letter here
Built in 1975, the Bearspaw south feeder main, which is 11-kilometres long and as wide as two metres in diameter in parts, is an integral part of Calgary's civic water system. It transports roughly 60 per cent of the city's treated water supply.
When the Bearspaw south feeder main broke in the summer of 2024, it prompted a local state of emergency, threatened the city's potable water supply and led to various levels of water restrictions for Calgary and surrounding communities for months afterward.
While the initial break took weeks to fix, with emergency parts arriving from as far away as San Diego, the crisis also unveiled chronic issues with the pipe itself. This led to several other hot spots being identified as in need of urgent repairs.
Soon after the break, the city ordered a consultant to review of what led to the deterioration and ultimate failure of the pipe.
The investigation - which was overseen by Associated Engineering - concluded that several factors contributed to the pipe's catastrophic failure, as well as stress at five hot spots, including:
Microcracking along the protective mortar outer layer of the pipe, which allowed soil contact with the prestress wires. Based on the investigation, it appears the feeder main could have experienced previous damage to the outer layer of the pipe, according to the city.
High chloride levels in the soil at various locations, as well as within certain portions of the mortar that had already experienced microcracking.
Severe damage to the wires that keep the pipe strong, including various wires that had snapped following stress corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. The damage, the report suggests, appears to be caused by chloride penetrating the microcracks along the mortar of the pipe.
Former mayor Naheed Nenshi said he and city council did not know Calgary's water system was at high risk 2017 when the Bearspaw feeder main was flagged for inspection.
City officials repeatedly recommended an inspection of Calgary's key water feeder main in 2017, 2019 and 2022, according to an independent review of the Bearspaw's catastrophic 2024 break.
But the inspections were continuously delayed, the report notes, and multiple city councils didn't receive the expert information and support needed to oversee Calgary's water system.
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