Bearspaw feeder main replacement enters home stretch on schedule, on budget

The six-kilometre replacement of the Bearspaw feeder main is entering the home stretch, Calgary officials say.

Construction that began in January is not only on schedule but on budget as well, they told reporters Wednesday.

“Until this pipe is done and operational, we’re not focused on how we’re getting here so fast — we’re focused on getting done,” said Michael Thompson, chief operating officer of Calgary Water Utility.

So far, the city has laid roughly 3.7 kilometres of concrete “carrier pipe” between Sarcee Trail and the Shaganappi Pump Station.

Work to insert the steel pipe that will move drinking water is a little more than half-finished, with roughly two kilometres of pipe in place.

The more disruptive construction along 34th Avenue in Bowness is now about 40 per cent, officials said.

“We will put as many people as we can out there,” said Darren Finney, Calgary’s manager of major projects.

“Our microtunnelling contractor brought in staff from all over the world.”

Sixty per cent of treated water for the 1.6 million residents of Calgary, nearby municipalities and the Tsuut’ina Nation is provided by Bearspaw. It failed in June 2024 and again in December 2025, and for months people were urged to take shorter showers and reduce toilet flushes.

As the work heads into the fall, Parkdale Boulevard will see some impacts due to proactive maintenance work on the pipe that’s there, but disruptions are forecast.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said earlier this month Bearspaw will be closed for less than a week in September so crews can complete electrical work on a new pumping station.

Officials said Wednesday that Calgarians should also expect to see water restrictions sometime in mid-October as the new feeder gets tied into existing infrastructure.