A new review found that appropriate oversight and risk management were in place, and there was no unprofessional conduct in the Bearspaw South water feeder main break last year.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) initiated its practice review on the City of Calgary last July and delivered the report May 7, 2025.

APEGA is the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta and enforces professional and ethical standards.

While an internal review of the cause of the Bearspaw water feeder main rupture in June 2024 was completed and reported publicly last December, the APEGA review examined the practices undertaken by the City of Calgary’s professionally designated experts during the emergency.

“In relation to the city’s water-distribution network and the Bearspaw South water main, the practice review found the City of Calgary had sound engineering oversight and the appropriate risk-based management in place to meet the expectations required of an APEGA permit holder and was in compliance with its obligations under the EGP Act, the General Regulation, and APEGA’s bylaws and practice standards,” an APEGA media release read.

“No indications of unskilled practice or unprofessional conduct were found during the practice review.”

The APEGA release went on to say that their review also included a high-level literature review to provide context on other prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) failures. They said the City’s review, conducted by Associated Engineering, is consistent with PCCP failures across North America.

“PCCPs generally fail in the same way, and such failures are common,” their release read.

“APEGA’s literature review also acknowledges that preventing a PCCP rupture is not assured, even with monitoring and predictive technologies in place.”

The City of Calgary has also enacted an independent, third-party panel to review the water feeder main rupture and the city’s handling of the emergency. Panellists were just recently named.

Reassurance to Calgarians: Mayor

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she believed the results of this review demonstrate that City of Calgary professionals followed procedures and acted with professionalism and urgency in an emergency.

“I’m so appreciative of the engineers and technical teams that got us through that, and the pick a review just indicates that we met the standards of a professional permit holder,” she told LWC.

“It’s reassurance to Calgarians that our teams managed this well.”

While it’s unclear at this point if the APEGA review found areas where the City of Calgary could improve its process and procedures, Mayor Gondek said there’s always something you can learn from a crisis like the Bearspaw water feeder main rupture.

“I think that’s the thing that we always have to keep in mind, ‘what did we learn from this situation? ‘” Mayor Gondek said.

“I can tell you, I’ve said this many times, we needed to get communication out to Calgarians much sooner than we did. I know that’s not part of APEGA’s review, but it’s a good example of while we manage this well, we could have been better.”

Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, whose area was hit hard by the rupture, said this was positive news. However, it’s not the full picture of what happened, she said.

“I’m still looking forward to the third-party report coming later this year, because we still have unanswered questions. Why didn’t we see this coming? Could it have been prevented? And what will happen this summer, when water demand is high and infrastructure is still under pressure?” Sharp asked in a prepared media release.

“Calgarians deserve full transparency and accountability. I’ll keep asking those questions until we get them.”

Mayor Gondek also said that a review like this doesn’t mean City staff only met the bare minimum of expectations to get APEGA’s endorsement.

“I would say that this is a review from a technical body that uses very specific language,” she said.

“I think they are giving their professional opinion that standards were satisfied. So, I don’t think it’s a matter of performing at a bare minimum. I think it is a matter of being evaluated for, ‘Did you do what you were expected to do as an engineer?’”

The results of the independent, third-party review on the feeder main failure are expected in December 2025.