Calgarians will have to endure about a month of water restrictions beginning in early March as the Bearspaw South feeder main will have to be shut down for repairs.

Nine sections of the Bearspaw South feeder main that have been identified as having significant deterioration will be reinforced beginning March 9.

Six segments of the pipe will be along 16 Avenue near Sarcee Trail, with another three expected near Point McKay Park. This is alongside the ongoing work being done for the expedited Bearspaw South feeder main replacement.

Infrastructure Services GM Michael Thompson said that after ongoing inspections following the Dec. 30, 2025, rupture, they’ve determined the pipe is in worse condition than initially thought.

There’s still a need to keep the existing pipe in service while the replacement is complete.

“There is no viable way to move water through the drinking water system at this time, as I indicated last month, we will need to shut the existing pipe down this spring to do additional reinforcement work,” Thompson said.

The repairs will be done using the concrete reinforcement technique that requires the pipe to be excavated, an exterior reinforcing cage built around the affected area, filling that area with concrete, and then backfilling.

The recent Bearspaw South feeder main independent report did mention that this method, while important, may not prevent further disruptions.

“The City’s strategy of external reinforcement to sections of BPSFM with increased frequency of wire breaks may not prevent rupture given the variability of pipe stress along the line and potential for rapid wire breaks.”

The City is moving ahead with the repairs swiftly, and that means water restrictions will be in place once again. The 485 million litre target will remain in place. Outdoor water use is not allowed, and voluntary indoor conservation is being encouraged.

“This reinforcement work will require us to take the feeder main out of service once again. This means region-wide outdoor water restrictions and indoor water conservation measures will be in place beginning March 9 for approximately four weeks,” Thompson said.

“During this time, it’s critical that all Calgarians and residents of the surrounding region use less water.”

Pipe monitoring continues, Thompson said, with four wire snaps being detected this week, forcing the shift in mitigation strategy.

Bearspaw replacement in full swing

Thompson also provided an update on the current Bearspaw replacement project.

Vertical shafts, which will allow the micro-tunneling device to begin work, are being built and will be used throughout the summer. Concrete pipe is arriving at the site, and steel pipe for the section has been ordered.

“In the coming weeks, crews will complete the vertical shaft construction and start the actual tunneling process at the same time as the micro-tunneling work is progressing. We are preparing for open-cut construction for Stage B from 73rd Street northwest to 89th Street northwest. Construction crews have started preparation work in the area and are finalizing construction plans,” Thompson said.

The construction timeline is still on track for a December finish, Thompson said.  

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said they’re giving people notice before the March 9 construction begins, so everyone can rally together for a clear water conservation goal.

“Now is the moment for all of us to prepare and to participate across the entire region,” he said.  

“So, as mayor, I am asking every single Calgarian to talk with your family, to your neighbours, to your co-workers. Build the habits now. So, when restrictions begin, we are already aligned, community to community.”

Meanwhile, Calgary will once again rely on the Glenmore water treatment plant to produce all of the region’s water. Thompson said that the Glenmore Reservoir is back up to normal levels after being drawn down to critical levels during the last water stoppage.

“We have done a lot of work around the Glenmore treatment plant, really, to start to reduce single points of failure throughout that plant, to bring in additional crews and equipment to make sure that that plant is as capable as it can be,” he said.

“As we go forward, to get us through this period of time, we also have work that’s underway on upgrades to the Glenmore water treatment plant to increase the capacity of the Glenmore water treatment plant.”

Mayor Farkas said that Calgarians should be prepared for Stage Four water restrictions and voluntary indoor conservation if conditions change on the pipe.

“This pipe could break tomorrow; it could break next week. It could break over the coming year. We just don’t know. So, we have to be prepared,” he said.  

“The difference today is our preparation. We are acting early.”