Official warns about danger of future Calgary water main breaks as testing proceeds
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CALGARY – As Calgary gets closer to lifting water restrictions caused by a broken water main, the city’s head of infrastructure warns two more breaks to the line could bring the water supply to a breaking point.
The city is relying heavily on the Glenmore Reservoir to provide treated water to its approximately 1.6 million residents while the Bearspaw South Feeder Main remains out of service.
The Bearspaw main supplies 60 per cent of the city’s potable water. It broke late last month – the second time it has ruptured in the past two years.
Officials have said the demand from the most recent break is forcing the Glenmore water treatment plant to triple its workload.
Michael Thompson, general manager of Calgary’s infrastructure services, said Tuesday the reservoir can’t be immediately replenished because it relies on the spring runoff for refilling.
Until it can be refilled, he said, “we have the ability to turn off the Bearspaw South Feeder Main two more times to do two sets of repairs.”
“If we extend beyond that, we won’t have the water in the Glenmore Reservoir, or the water in our battery, to keep the city going.”
Thompson said the city has contingency plans in place to manage the pipe if it fails twice more but would not provide details.
The line is now fixed but restrictions remain in place as the line is tested. Officials have warned that, given the pipe’s fragile state, it’s at risk of rupturing again as pressures rise while crews refill it.
They also say residents are still using too much water to sustain the system. Calgarians used just over 500 million litres of water on Monday, or close to 20 million litres more than can be sustained, putting the city at risk if it needs water for emergencies, like firefighting.
Water use has surpassed the 500-million-litre mark nearly every day since the water main ruptured.
Officials have pleaded with residents to reduce their water use by taking shorter showers and flushing toilets less often.
The city says it expects to share details on a timeline for the remaining tests and the potential lifting of water restrictions on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2026.