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Some 20 businesses in Bowness are without water after a water main break Saturday — the latest headache for a community that has seen its share of water troubles in recent years.
The city posted about the break just after 9:30 a.m. Saturday, and said crews will use acoustic equipment to determine the severity of the break.
The cause at this point is unclear. The city brought in a temporary water wagon for the area.
The break happened at 6316 Bowness Road N.W., outside Brewsmith Brewing Co.
The brewery’s co-owner, Miranda Mitchell, says she received a call Saturday morning asking if the building had running water. They quickly discovered a large sinkhole had opened up in the road in front of their business.
Without water to run dishwashers or for the washrooms, Brewsmith Brewing closed for the weekend. Mitchell estimates that to be a $5,000 financial loss each day.
“It is definitely unfortunate that it happened on a weekend,” said Mitchell. “Summer’s our busiest season and the patio is so popular, so, unfortunate timing.”
In an effort to make up for some of the lost revenue, the brewery ran a 10 per cent off “sinkhole sale” for their retail beer sales Sunday.
Bowness was one of several communities under a boil-water advisory at the start of 2026, as the city dealt with a second catastrophic break of the Bearspaw south feeder main in as many years.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas has set an expedited timeline to have the Bearspaw main replaced by the end of the year. The city recently updated that the project is on track, with two kilometres of steel pipe installed across 12 areas in Bowness, Montgomery and Parkdale.