The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) has concluded its practice review of the City of Calgary following the June 2024 rupture of the Bearspaw South water main, finding no evidence of unskilled practice or unprofessional conduct.The review, launched on July 22, 2024, culminated in a final report delivered to the city on May 7. APEGA assessed Calgary’s engineering management practices to ensure they aligned with Alberta’s Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act, the General Regulation, and APEGA’s bylaws and standards.According to APEGA, Calgary demonstrated “sound engineering oversight” and a suitable risk-based management approach for its water-distribution infrastructure. The city was found to be fully compliant with its regulatory obligations as an APEGA permit holder.APEGA’s investigation included a review of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) failures, the same material used in the Bearspaw South feeder main. Though the pipe was originally expected to last 100 years when installed in 1974, relaxed manufacturing standards from the late 1960s to early 1970s have led to widespread premature PCCP failures across North America. Those standards have since been strengthened.The conclusions of a separate forensic investigation by Associated Engineering were found to align with APEGA’s findings. Both reports confirmed that PCCP failures are a recognized industry issue, often occurring despite the use of monitoring and predictive technologies.APEGA emphasized that its review did not uncover any grounds for a formal investigation, which would only be triggered by signs of unskilled or unethical engineering or geoscience practice.
