Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she’ll be asking “important questions” on the underground utilities in Calgary next week, including what’s needed in the budget to ensure there’s a safe city water supply.

The mayor recounted the two-plus weeks since the Bearspaw south water feeder main ruptured June 5 during her morning update on Friday.

Like many Calgarians, she said she wanted a full line of sight on what Calgary’s infrastructure looks like underground.

“Next week, at Council on Tuesday, I’m going to be asking important questions to find out what we need in the budget, so we have the technology and inspection methods that are needed to understand the type of state that our water infrastructure is in,” Mayor Gondek said.

On June 25, there is a Strategic Meeting of Council where councillors will discuss, among other things, their approach to the upcoming mid-cycle budget adjustment. They have been having ongoing conversations in strategic sessions since the last budget was approved.  

This November is the halfway point in the City of Calgary’s four-year budget cycle.

In February, on the heels of a nearly eight per cent property tax hike for 2024, councillors voted 8-7 in favour of capping the overall property tax rate at a combined 3.6 per cent in 2025 and 3.1 per cent in 2026, as prescribed in the initial four-year budget plan.

They’ve been asked to find other budget reductions to reduce the property tax that’s required.

Mayor Gondek said she would be calling in all favours with provincial and federal governments to ensure no funds are left on the table.

“It’s my primary focus to make sure that we have safety and security of water infrastructure in our city,” she said.

“That is the least we can do is to give you that peace of mind that we are looking after our infrastructure.”

Mayor Gondek also said that she would be raising the issue with other big city mayors in Canada. Many cities have pre-stressed concrete pipes. She’s hoping the lessons learned in Calgary will aid other municipalities in preventing similar water disruptions.

“If it happened in Calgary, it can happen anywhere,” she said.

Repair of hot spots is on track

Mayor Gondek said that so far the city is on a six-day streak of keeping below the 480 million critical threshold for water consumption. On Thursday, 460 million litres was used.

Meanwhile, the removal of the so-called hot spots was expected to be complete sometime Friday.

“Things are looking pretty good for us to hit that fifth of July timeframe,” Mayor Gondek said in the afternoon briefing.

Infrastructure Services GM Michael Thompson said that sandblasting and coating of the replacement pipes is nearing completion and they’re welding new parts beginning Friday. One of the previously mentioned hot spots that won’t be removed due to the change in elevation from one of the thrust outlets, is being reinforced, Thompson said.

Pipe sections that are being removed are being kept and stored for inspection as part of the third-party review. Some of the removed sections had damage on the outside portion of the pipe. Thompson also said that he was on site looking at other sections of pipe and the interior had no apparent signs of cracking and there was nothing on the outside that indicated wires had snapped.

The City will be posting an FAQ on some of the technical questions related to the pipe, the inspections, and the city’s asset management plan.

Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Sue Henry said that this weekend is going to warm up, and though there may be some thunderstorms that pop up, it’s likely going to be dry. With that, there’s an emphasis on keeping water consumption down. If there is a rain storm, she’s encouraging people to collect the water.

“Most importantly, please remember that the fire ban and water restrictions remain in effect. Keep doing what you have been doing,” she said.