“We did it!”, Calgary Mayor says, following water restrictions being lifted in Calgary

Water restrictions have been removed in Calgary. Photo from City of Calgary

The City of Calgary has lifted water restrictions, following completion of Bearspaw South Feeder Main work.

Over the past three and a half weeks, residents of Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore, and Tsuut’ina Nation were taking action to reduce their daily water use, which the City of Calgary says helped them operate the Glenmore water treatment plant at an increased capacity and keep the underground storage tanks full.

Because of that, the City had enough water available to respond to emergencies, such as additional water main breaks and fires.

Michael Thompson, City of Calgary’s general manager of infrastructure services, says that water is now flowing through the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

Thompson then goes on to praise residents for their help during the water restrictions.

Since the water was stopped flowing through the Feeder Main on March 9^th, City crews have completed a significant amount of work to stabilize the pipe.

Now that the work has been completed, and the city is able to move the water needed to people’s taps, water restrictions have been removed, and normal water usage can return to normal.

Surface work involved with the Feeder Main work is expected to be completed today (Thursday, April 2), and detours will be removed over the weekend.

Now that water restrictions have been lifted, Thompson says they are not planning on implementing another water restriction until the autumn, when they will need to shut the pipe down, again, to connect the replacement pipe.

Even though the water restrictions have been lifted, Thompson says this incident shows that there is a need for water wise habits, such as always running full loads of laundry and dishes, fixing leaks, and being mindful of outdoor water use.

Calgary Mayor, Jeromy Farkas, adds more praise for those affected by the water restrictions.

The Bearspaw South Feeder Main is a critical water artery, which carries, roughly, 60 per cent of the City’s drinking water.

But, as a result of the break, the City has been able to take proactive steps to reinforcing nine of the most vulnerable sections and stabilize the system while they work towards a permanent solution.

Mayor Farkas adds that until the replacement pipe is fully installed, they are relying on a single, aging piece of infrastructure for the majority of their water.

The replacement project is currently on schedule to be completed by December 1, 2026.

To watch the full media conference, click here.