Calgary city councillors unanimously approved spending $609 million for both capital and operating expenses to shore up Calgary’s water system.
The cash will help the City of Calgary move forward on 27 recommendations made in its implementation plan following the Bearspaw Independent Review Panel findings.
Infrastructure Services GM Michael Thompson said the capital spending in the water utility alone for 2026 will be roughly 40 per cent more than was spent in capital projects across all departments the year prior.
Part of the cash will go towards ensuring there’s staff in place to handle the project acceleration.
“We need everyone here to deliver that, including legal support, HR, support, communication, support, our community and business relations.
Cash is also needed for the operational side in order to help deliver and then continue servicing the increased capacity moving forward, according to Operational Services GM Doug Morgan.
“We need the field staff to bring these new pieces of infrastructure online, to control them, to integrate them, to make sure that we’ve got professional operators to turn the valves and make sure that it gets integrated and can provide safe service,” Morgan said.
“So a lot of, not only the Bearspaw South feeder main, to make sure that comes online, but also the other projects that we’re ready to bring them into service effectively for Calgarians as they come online over the next three years.”
The increase in water rates starting in 2027 will be roughly $14 per month, according to city administration. Those increases also account for system needs beyond the scope of this cash.
Boost is needed for the water system: Farkas
Given the 15-0 vote at the March 17 Public Hearing Meeting of Council, all favoured the spending. At least, in the end.
When speaking with reporters at lunch, Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston questioned the level of trust he had in city administration to execute the projects.
“It’s not the amount that bugs me,” he said.
“On core issues, it’s do we trust them with that money to be spent properly, to be spent efficiently.”
When asked, Coun. Johnston told reporters that he wouldn’t vote for the spending. He ultimately cast his vote in favour.
Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said that there’s really no other option than to spend this cash to fix an ailing system.
“If someone tells me there’s another option, that this pipe won’t break for the next 20 years, I’m happy not to support it,” he said.
“This money needs to be invested. This money needs to be invested now, and the (reason) we are here is just because we had been kicking the can down the street for too long.”
Mayor Jeromy Farkas, who has been championing the infrastructure boost since the line ruptured once again back on Dec. 30, 2025, reiterated his message that the work has to be done, and done now.
“This is a point of failure that’s just not acceptable for a city of 2 million people,” he said.
“We need to replace that pipe, but we need to make sure that if something were to happen to that replacement down the road, that we’d never be in the situation again.”
Work is already happening on the Bearspaw replacement line, with completion expected sometime in December.
The City of Calgary is also conducting repair work on nine segments of the existing Bearspaw South feeder main. That construction will continue until around April 9.
