Calgarians could see higher water bills as city faces steep infrastructure costs

Calgarians may soon be paying more for water as the city faces more than half a billion dollars in urgent infrastructure needs, including major upgrades to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

A new report presented to Calgary’s Executive Committee outlines $609.5 million in required capital spending to keep key water projects on track.

The largest portion, over $300 million, is earmarked for the feeder main, a project aimed at reinforcing the existing line and building a new parallel pipe to improve system reliability.

Another $200 million-plus is needed for the North Calgary Water Servicing project.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the scale of investment reflects the seriousness of Calgary’s water challenges.

“We need to fix this,” says Farkas. “It’s honestly embarrassing for us as a city of almost two million people that we cannot rely on safe drinking water. We need to fix this, and we can’t spare any expense to get it done.”

Most of the capital spending would be covered through borrowing, with the remainder coming from reserve funds.

The report also recommends $21.3 million in additional operating spending, funded through reserves. That money would go toward accelerating repair work and hiring more frontline crews to manage the city’s aging water infrastructure.

Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly said the financial pressure reflects the realities of Calgary’s rapid expansion.

“There’s costs to growing the way that we have as a city, and every once in a while those costs come home to roost, and this may very well be one of them.”

While the report does not request a utility rate change for 2026, city administration is warning that monthly residential water bills could rise by up to $17 when council sets rates later this year. The final decision is expected in November.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean noted the strain residents are already feeling.

“It seems lately there’s not a lot of good news for Calgarians for their pocketbook issues,” he says.

The report and its recommendations will be presented at a public hearing on March 17, before a final decision is made.