Calgary Region Faces Brief Water Shutdown in September for Feeder Main Electrical Work

Residents of Calgary and nearby communities are advised of a potential brief shutdown of the Bearspaw feeder main in September. This essential infrastructure supplies 60 percent of the treated water for approximately 1.6 million people, including the Tsuut’ina Nation. The shutdown is necessary to complete electrical work on a new pumping station, a critical component of the north Calgary water servicing project.

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This is planned work. This is part of the north Calgary water servicing project.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas emphasized that the closure is planned work and not an indication of a water shortage. However, residents might be asked to restrict outdoor watering during the shutdown period. The severity of any restrictions will depend on weather conditions and overall water consumption at the time. Farkas noted that some outdoor water use might still be permitted.

The Bearspaw feeder main has experienced significant issues, suffering two catastrophic failures in less than two years, including incidents in June 2024 and December 2025. These failures led to months of water restrictions, urging residents to conserve water through shorter showers and reduced toilet flushes.

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Whether we need restrictions in September will depend on the weather and how much water Calgarians are using at the time. If restrictions are needed, we expect some outdoor water use would still be allowed.

Farkas stated that the final stages of work on the feeder main are scheduled for October, which may involve an additional four weeks of water restrictions. He highlighted that the replacement of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main is on track for completion within a single year, a timeline he described as potentially the fastest for a project of this scale and complexity in Canada, and possibly globally.

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We are on track to complete the replacement of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main in a single year. This is the fastest a project of this size and complexity has been delivered in Canada and likely anywhere in North America, if not the world.