One day after strict water limits took effect, the City of Calgary is urging residents to further cut back on consumption as it shuts down a critical feeder main for repairs.
As of March 9, the Bearspaw South Feeder Main (BSFM) will be taken out of service for approximately four weeks to allow for planned reinforcement work on sections of pipe experiencing significant deterioration. The move comes months after a feeder main break over the 2025 Christmas period forced the city to open its Emergency Operations Centre and impose Stage 4 water restrictions.
Last year’s break follows a major failure on June 5, 2024, involving the nearly 52-year-old, 11-kilometre Bearspaw feeder main — an incident that triggered months of strict water restrictions across the city.
With the feeder main offline, no outdoor water use will be permitted and indoor conservation will be required. During the shutdown, Calgary and neighbouring communities — including Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore and Tsuut’ina Nation — will rely primarily on a single treatment plant.
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City officials say daily consumption must remain below 500 million litres to avoid what they describe as a “risky red zone.” Exceeding plant capacity could limit the system’s ability to fight fires, trigger low water pressure and potentially lead to a city-wide boil water advisory. In a worst-case scenario, a major plant or system failure could result in a loss of water supply.
Residents are being asked to reduce their usage by at least 25 litres per day.
The reinforcement work will target up to nine segments of the existing pipe to maintain stability until a new parallel steel feeder main — scheduled for completion in December — can take over service.
“We will repair the identified pipe segments using a concrete reinforcement technique,” the city announced in a statement, explaining that crews will excavate the pipe, build an exterior reinforcing steel cage, pour concrete around it and backfill. The construction method may change once the pipe is exposed.
Confirmed repairs will take place on six segments along 16 Avenue N.W., near Sarcee Trail. Three additional reinforcements are being explored at Point McKay Park, pending coordination with work underway on the new replacement line.
In addition to water restrictions, the city is imposing temporary limits on underground construction near both the existing feeder main and the new parallel pipe. No digging will be permitted within 10 metres of the line, and underground utility work on nearby roads will face tighter controls. Pile driving and other high-vibration activities will also be discouraged.
Ward 1 Councillor Kim Tyers said residents and business owners in Bowness and Montgomery have raised concerns about additional housing construction increasing traffic and potentially damaging aging infrastructure.
“By limiting underground construction near the existing pipe and new replacement pipe, we are relieving some of the pressure on these communities and ensuring we are doing our best to maintain the integrity of the feeder main until its full replacement,” Tyers said.
The measures will not affect renovation or landscaping work on private property, nor applications for changes of use or business licences.
“The interim measures we are announcing today will allow development to continue with an added layer of oversight,” said Teresa Goldstein, the city’s director of community planning, on February 26.
Maps of affected parcels and further details are available on the city’s website, and officials say they are contacting permit holders and applicants directly about the changes.
