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The first phase of construction for the Bearspaw south feeder main replacement has wrapped, and the project as a whole is still ahead of schedule, according to the City of Calgary
Calgarians could still be in for a round of outdoor water restrictions in September, with more fulsome restrictions set for October.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas ordered the replacement to be expedited and completed by the end of 2026, following a second catastrophic rupture of the pipe at the beginning of the year.
Crews began microtunnelling in January as part of stage A, to install the new feeder main between the Shaganappi Pump Station and 73rd Street N.W.
“We all need to be prepared and ready that that existing pipe can break at any time. If it does, we will have to go into water restrictions again at that moment,” chief operating officer of the water utility Michael Thompson told reporters Wednesday.
WATCH | Sinkhole swallows road in Bowness after water main break:
Sinkhole swallows road in Bowness after water main break
Another water main break in the Calgary community of Bowness has left about 20 businesses without water. As CBC’s Jo Horwood reports, city crews have more than just a pipe to fix, as a sinkhole the size of a single lane opened at the site of the break.
The microtunnelling created minimal disruption above ground, the city said, with crews first installing a new concrete pipe, then placing the new steel feeder main inside of that.
In June, stage B began, which includes open-cut construction along 34th Avenue N.W. in Bowness. The city says nearly half of stage B is complete, with more than a kilometre of feeder main installed.
“Following the tie-in work, we will have to commission the new pipe, and then it will go into service in December,” Thompson said.
Water restrictions, traffic disruptions expected
Calgarians can expect another round of water restrictions in October, when the Bearspaw south feeder main is shut down to connect the replacement pipe to the system.
The city says Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions are expected to be in effect in mid-October, with residents also expected to continue conserving water indoors.
“We’re currently expecting approximately four weeks of water restrictions while we complete that tie-in work,” Thompson said.
WATCH | Why Calgary is rethinking its entire water system:
Why Calgary is rethinking its entire water system
Michael Thompson, Calgary’s general manager of infrastructure services, explains how the city receives its water from two ‘small rivers’ and the risks that brings as crews rush to fix the latest water main break. For example, the city needs to keep enough water in the Glenmore Reservoir until spring as the nearby water plant pumps out three times its normal winter production to maintain the water supply for Calgarians during repairs.
There could also be some outdoor water restrictions in September due to unrelated work on a separate feeder main, depending on water demand at that time.
Testing and commissioning of the new feeder main will take place in mid-November, with no water restrictions expected for that.
“I’m asking all Calgarians and our partners in the region to remain vigilant, be prepared in case that pipe does break and you have to go into water restrictions again,” Thompson said.
Construction along Parkdale Boulevard and Memorial Drive N.W. will bring traffic disruptions and parking restrictions to those areas while the feeder main is out of service.
“We understand it’s impactful, but it’s so important for our community that we have this new pipe installed so that we don’t have to live with the concern that this could break in the winter,” Thompson said.