The City of Calgary provided an update on the water main leak. Photo by Stephen Strand
Update:
City of Calgary Mayor, Jeromy Farkas, warns Calgarians about the state of water infrastructure in the city.
The City of Calgary held a media conference today (Monday, January 5) to inform the public about water restrictions and the state of repairs on the Bearspaw South feeder main.
The Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief, Susan Henry, started the media conference with some good news.
Testing of the water was done in collaboration with AHS, the City of Calgary, and Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, who confirmed the water is safe for people to consume.
But, for those who were in the affected area and have not used their water for 24 hours or longer are encouraged to flush their water lines prior to initial use.
To flush the system, turn on the cold water in the bathtub for ten minutes, followed by running the remaining taps for an additional five minutes.
This is an essential step for public safety, even though the city is under Stage 4 Water Restrictions.
Chief Henry goes on to add that it is imperative that Calgarians continue to conserve water so demand doesn’t outpace the supply.
By doing so, Chief Henry says it will help to ensure there is enough water for emergency services, such as fighting fires.
While the City is asking the public to refrain from using too much water, the City itself is taking water conservation measures seriously.
The city has not refilled pools that were down for maintenance, they have directed staff to work from home whenever possible, and have closed their vehicle wash bays, except for emergencies.
On top of this feeder main break, the City of Calgary has been working on an unrelated infrastructure project.
As part of that work, crews will be flushing water through the pipe to ensure the water inside is clean and safe for Calgarians.
While residents are being asked to restrict their water usage, Chief Henry says this is necessary work to complete the project.
The General Manager for Infrastructure Services with the City of Calgary, Michael Thompson, says they are making progress on repairing the broken pipe.
Thompson says that Calgary gets its water from two small rivers.
According to Thompson, this puts the city at risk for a few reasons.
Thompson adds that continuing to rely heavily on the Glenmore plant and the Glenmore Reservoir puts the City’s water supply at risk.
With that, Thompson says the City needs to proceed with caution as they continue to use this pipe.
Even with them repairing the pipe, Thompson says there is no guarantee the pipe won’t break again.
Until there is a replacement pipe installed, Thompson says they will have to close down this pipe in the spring and autumn to check for issues.
While they are fixing this pipe, the City is committed to replacing water infrastructure.
During the media conference, Calgary Mayor, Jeromy Farkas, reiterated how dire of a situation the city is currently in.
Mayor Farkas added that the Bearspaw South feeder main has supplied water to Calgary for decades, and while it has served the city well, the pipe is breaking down from the inside, which cannot be fixed.
The Mayor added that until the pipe is replaced, it can fail again without warning.
Mayor Farkas says people need to rethink about water long term, as using less water is our new reality.
The water that flows into people’s homes in Calgary is also the water that fire departments in the city use, so preserving water at the residential level will allow the fire department to use more water to save lives.
Mayor Farkas stated during the media conference that they are replacing this pipe as fast as possible.
While Stage 4 Restrictions are currently in place and crews are repairing the pipe, Mayor Farkas says that as part of our new normal, people should not be surprised it restrictions come back in place until the new pipe has been installed.
Original Story:
The city of Calgary is still under a Stage 4 water restrictions, as crews are continuing to fix the feeder main break that happened late December.
As a result of the water main break on 16 Ave N.W., east of Sarcee Trail, water use is strained.
Calgary Mayor, Jeromy Farkas, took to Facebook on Monday, January 5, to provide an update on the water situation.
According to Mayor Farkas, the city’s water use slipped further into the unsustainable level overnight.
“Without changes, we’ll enter loss-of-life territory, where firefighting and emergency response may be compromised,” Mayor Farkas stated in his Facebook post. “This is serious. Reducing use now protects lives and keeps essential services running. Please conserve.”
On January 4, 2026, the city of Calgary used 510 million litres of water, which is in the unsustainable level.
A sustainable level of water usage is 485 million litres of water per day or less, while above 485 million litres is considered a strain on the system.
While the water use is currently unsustainable, it has been confirmed that the water in the Parkdale, Montgomery and Point McKay and West Hillhurst communities meets water-quality guidelines and can now be used without boiling.
Under Stage 4 water restrictions, outdoor ice rinks will not be flooded or constructed and organizations, such as recreation centres, will be asked to implement their water restriction plans.
On top of that, but people are asked to reduce toilet flushing and only flush when needed, keep showers to three minutes or less, and only run washing machines and dishwashers when they have a full load.
To learn more about water conservation and to stay up to date on the water repairs, click here.
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