Alberta undertaking formal inspection of Calgary’s water system

Alberta’s government is taking Calgary’s water situation into its own hands — launching a formal inspection of the management, administration, and operation of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

Minister of Municipal Affairs Dan Williams made the announcement Friday.

“Given the recurring nature of this situation and the severe impact it is having on the daily lives of Calgarians and surrounding communities, all of whom rely on a safe, reliable water system to support their families and businesses, I believe an inspection is necessary,” he said. “This decision was not taken lightly.”

The inspection will be done under the Municipal Government Act, lead by David Goldie. The province says he has more than 40 years of experience in technical, operational, and governance roles across Alberta’s infrastructure sectors. Goldie previously served at the chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator board.

Earlier this year, Alberta’s government began looking into Calgary’s water main ruptures, demanding the city turn over documents dating back at least 20 years.

The province says the city complied with that request and it received “tens of thousands of documents.”

Williams explains the inspection will focus on the City of Calgary’s management, administration, and operational practices related to the Bearspaw Feeder Main.

This is the second-such review on the subject in recent months — an independent panel was convened by the city under former Mayor Jyoti Gondek following the 2024 main break.

That report said a poor management structure and less than robust risk and asset management planning are to blame for the city’s water woes. Led by former ATCO executive Siegfried Kiefer, it also recommended moving to a formal corporate structure for water management, which is currently being mulled over by administration and city council.

Williams says this review is different because Goldie will have access to more documents than Kiefer and the independent panel did, including in-camera council minutes.

Goldie will also have the power to call individuals — which could include current and former city administration, council members, experts, and more — to testify on what they know about the situation.

There is also the possibility that there could be legally-binding directives, the minister said. It is unclear what those directives could be.

“This gives it real teeth,” Williams said.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is applauding the work of the province, specifically Williams, saying he fully supports the inspection.

“The safety of Calgarians and the neighbouring communities that rely on our water infrastructure must always come first,” he wrote in a letter posted to social media. “A transparent review that identifies lessons learned, resource requirements, and opportunities for improvement will help ensure the long-term resilience of the system, in Calgary and throughout the province.”

Water restrictions remain, work ongoing

This comes as the city wraps up it’s first week back in Stage 4 water restrictions due to repair work on the Bearspaw Feeder Main, which broke for the second time in less than two years at the end of December.

Usage has remained in the ‘green zone’ during the first week of work. The city’s water demand dashboard says 482 million litres was used on Thursday.

City officials say crews are making steady progress on reinforcing nine segments of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main including six segments along 16 Avenue NW near Sarcee Trail and three segments at Point McKay Park.

The city reports that water is being drained from the final section of pipe and excavation is underway across all sites.

Construction remains on schedule, according to the city.

The city also announced new work along 33 Avenue NW, where valve repairs are now underway. The work means lane reductions and a partial closure at 83 Street and 33 Avenue NW.

The valve repairs are expected to take around 10 days.

The building of an entirely new pipe, with a price tag of $439 million, is being fast-tracked for completion by the end of 2026.

-With The Canadian Press