Stage Four outdoor water restrictions will go into place in the first week of November, as the City of Calgary begins the tie-in of the Bearspaw South replacement feeder main.
Starting Nov. 4, the tie-in stage will begin, forcing the temporary shutdown of the existing Bearspaw South feeder main. Calgarians will also be asked to undertake voluntary indoor water conservation.
The restrictions are expected to last four weeks, the City of Calgary said.
It’s the penultimate stage before the replacement is fully brought online, which water utility Chief Operating Officer Michael Thompson said is still on target for service by the end of the year.
“There will be one final step before the new pipe can be put into service. We will need to commission the pipe, a process that includes flushing it, disinfecting it, filling the pipe with water, and ensuring all water quality testing is complete,” he said.
“We anticipate that this will take two to three weeks, so if all goes according to plan, the new pipe will be operational before the end of the year.”
There was a slight shift in the timeline for this tie-in process to begin, as it was originally slated to start in mid-October. That would make have four weeks of restrictions end on or around Nov. 15.
“The revised tie-in timing is related to the arrival of specialized parts needed for the connection work that have been delayed in transit, unrelated to tariffs,” read an emailed city response to LWC questions last week.
“At this time, there is no anticipated impact to the overall project schedule.”
Now, the extension means water restrictions will coincide with Calgary’s hosting of the CFL’s Grey Cup.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing Calgary’s hospitality while continuing to provide safe and reliable water service. We’ve been working closely with Grey Cup event organizers as they plan the event while temporary water restrictions will be in effect,” said Thompson.
“I want to thank the organizers who’ve been very receptive to identifying opportunities to conserve water where possible.”
Thompson said that organizers are also sharing information about restrictions to vendors, encouraging responsible water use during the festivities.
‘One final step’: Mayor Farkas
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the end is near for the “ambitious” water pipeline project, undertaken after the second major rupture of the feeder main happened on Dec. 30, 2025.
“I know how much we’ve already asked of Calgarians, but this time we’re not just responding to another failure. We’re finishing what we promised to do,” he said during a Thursday news conference.
“We’ve kept our water consumption below 500 million liters a day before, and we need to do it one more time.”
Stage Four outdoor water restrictions mean that no outdoor water use is permitted. Watering of lawns, gardens, trees or shrubs is allowed, along with no washing of driveways, cars, sidewalks or building exteriors.
Further, it means no filling of swimming pools, hot tubs or decorative fountains, according to city bylaws.
The restrictions will also extend to Calgary’s regional water customers in Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore and Tsuut’ina Nation.
Voluntary water restrictions include limiting showers to three minutes or less, flushing toilets only when necessary, running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads, and turning off taps while brushing teeth or soaping up in the shower.
Mayor Farkas said all of this is necessary to build a stronger, more resilient city.
“We cannot operate today’s Calgary with yesterday’s infrastructure; we cannot build tomorrow’s Calgary with yesterday’s infrastructure. We need to get ahead of that growth,” he said.
“We need to address our infrastructure deficit, and we need to deliver major projects faster. And we need to stop accepting delays as inevitable. What we’re accomplishing here in Calgary must become our new standard for our roads, for our transit, our housing, and the essential infrastructure that supports our growing city.”
