Repairs to the Bearspaw feeder main are finished and the water conservation advisory has been lifted, said Sue Henry, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency at a press conference Friday afternoon.
“We turned on the last pump at the Bearspaw water treatment plant, increasing the flow of water through the feeder main and have been monitoring the pipe and as of this afternoon, the system remains stable," said Henry.
“That means we are now able to lift all water restrictions effective immediately at the end of the day (Friday). The municipal emergency plan will be deactivated, and the emergency operations center will close.”
The pipe will be closely monitored, as there is no guarantee it won’t break again, said Henry.
“Should we experience another break, we are ready to respond quickly and efficiently,” she said. “As mentioned before, the process to return the line to service had additional risk.”
Henry said the extra first responders that had been stationed near the feeder main will stand down today, but the sections of berm in Montgomery and the barriers along Parkdale Avenue will remain in place for now.
“While the traffic is flowing in both directions on 16th Ave., the westbound right turn lane and curb lanes remain closed as they need more time for the road base to stabilize after our pavement repair work,” she said. “This is a temporary fix and work on the permanent repair plans are underway and will be completed during the construction season in 2026.”
Operations at all city facilities, including aquatic centers and arenas will return to normal, steam rooms will reopen as early as this evening and hot tubs and kiddie pools are being refilled and expected to reopen Saturday.
“I extend a big thank you to all Calgarians, people in Airdrie, Chestermere, Tsuut'ina Nation and Strathmore for doing your part,” said Henry. “You made a difference and we truly appreciate you and the effort you made.”
Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services said, “All has gone well with bringing this pipe back into service. We've been closely monitoring the pipe as we've filled and repressurized, gradually increasing the flow and as of right now, the pipe appears stable. The final pump was activated this morning and we can now rely on water flowing from the Bearspaw plant to support the community.”
“Today's news is a step in the right direction,” added Thompson. “We still have a long way to go in our feeder main journey and as the mayor said, the existing feeder main is terminally ill. This spring and fall we will need to take the feeder main out of service to reinforce sections of pipe and there will be critical work requiring water restrictions in the spring and fall.”
Thompson said planning has begun for the work required to replace the pipe, which is the only solution to getting the city out of a vulnerable situation.
“Today, we have awarded contracts to start this work,” said Thompson. “We're ordering materials, mobilizing and planning for the work ahead. We will share details on the plans in the coming weeks as they're refined and developed.”
"Thank you for your patience, your understanding during the past few weeks, for your steps to save water and support our ongoing work in the coming months ahead. Calgary has shown that when conditions are difficult, we come together.”
Mayor Farkas offered thanks to residents for conserving and to the crews that did the repairs.
"To Calgarians and our partners in the region, thank you,” said Farkas. “Calgary, you have shown us what kind of city we are. You didn't complain and you got us to this point.”
He added more work lays ahead.
“Today is not a victory lap, although it feels like it is a milestone and then tomorrow, it is straight back to work because the truth is simple,” said Farkas. “This repair has simply bought Calgary time, but we are now in a race against the clock. This water line, as said previously, is terminally ill. It is a ticking time bomb and it's not a matter of if, but when it fails again.”
“Our job right in this moment is not to celebrate the patch, it is to deliver the replacement faster than anyone thinks possible. We need to do what would normally take four years in one year. That's the challenge.”
“This can't just be a project sitting in a binder somewhere, it has to become our civic mission. We will all have a part to play.
