Why Calgary is flush with new water projects — and wants to get them done quickly

The City of Calgary is opening the taps on several major water projects as officials aim to make the system more robust as the city grows and its infrastructure ages. 

It comes after a major water feeder main failed earlier this year triggering weeks of water restrictions and placing a spotlight on the infrastructure for a rapidly expanding population. 

"The city continues to take a multi-faceted approach to managing the risk of deteriorating critical infrastructure in our water system," reads the city's newest Biannual Infrastructure Insights Report.

"This response will include both near and long-term improvements to the condition of our infrastructure, as well as ensuring redundancy in our system for critical infrastructure."

Among the top items for the city is the North Calgary Water Servicing project.

It consists of a long-planned series of new feeder mains, pump stations and reservoir infrastructure projects that service north zones of Calgary and Airdrie. Work will begin next year and is expected to be completed in 2028, according to the report. This specific project has been in the works since long before the Bearspaw south feeder main ruptured on June 5.

WATCH | What the next few years has in store for Calgary's water system:

Calgary is addressing growing water needs with new projects

1 month ago

Duration 1:53

As Calgary continues to grow, so does the city’s infrastructure needs. After a major water main break this summer, the need for more redundancy and capacity in Calgary’s water system was highlighted. A new report from city administration revealed that several projects are being sped up to accommodate the city's rapid growth.

In the meantime, planning for a new south feeder main to supply southern Calgary communities as well as Chestermere and Strathmore, plus a new water treatment plant at Bearspaw, will commence now. Construction on the South Calgary Water Servicing project is expected to be complete in December 2030, according to the report, providing redundancy in portions of the city south of 17th Avenue S.E. and east of 14th Street S.W.

A new underground reservoir as part of the pipe system located at the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant will also be designed, constructed and in service between one or two years ahead of its original end of 2030 completion schedule.

Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services, echoed some of the points outlined by the report, adding the timelines on this series of infrastructure projects are being advanced to accommodate Calgary's evolving needs. 

"Calgary's growing significantly, more than we had ever planned, growing just under 70,000 people last year," Thompson told reporters on Wednesday.

"We've got tremendous growth pressures, but we also, as we learned this summer, have to improve redundancy for the system. So this will help with both redundancy and that future growth."

The Bearspaw south feeder main is still in the process of being rehabilitated.

Pre-work on Phase 3 of the repairs began on Wednesday, and construction is expected to last until late November. This time, no water restrictions will be required for Calgarians, but the rehabilitation efforts mark another step in the long and costly process the city has dealt with following the pipe's catastrophic failure.

Thompson says a decision has not been made yet on whether the current Bearspaw south feeder main needs to be replaced with a new pipe, or if a liner will be added to the line to improve its reliability.

Proposed higher user fees could help fund infrastructure

The exact costs associated with this series of new and accelerated infrastructure projects are still unknown. However, Calgarians are likely to see increased utility rates in order to help pay for it. 

"Utility rates are always talked about at council in the mid-cycle adjustment," said Thompson.

"We put out a small increase to assist paying for some of the infrastructure as we go forward, but also just the cost of delivering services. All of our costs have gone up. Chemicals to treat the water … we're impacted by inflation just like everyone else is."

Higher utility rates have been proposed for 2025 and 2026 in the city's budget adjustments.

As a preview of the mid-cycle adjustments, the city says fees associated with water and waste recycling could increase by 3.7 per cent in 2025, resulting in a $5.09 per month increase on the typical residential water and waste utility bill next year (which is based on typical metered water usage of 19m³ per month). 

City council is expected to discuss infrastructure spending during its annual budget revisions next month. 

When it comes to November's meeting on budget revisions, Coun. Sonya Sharp says she expects infrastructure — including items like roads and water — to be top of mind for Calgarians, especially her own constituents in Ward 1.

"Mid-cycle is when you start to really look at what are those nice-to-haves and what we need to have," Sharp told reporters Wednesday. 

"When we had a crisis where all of Calgary had to not use water for months in the summer, we should be prioritizing our basic necessities to deliver. So if there's infrastructure dollars going to some nice-to-haves, maybe it's an opportunity to pause those into the next budget cycle, but really deliver on what Calgarians are asking for."