Federal government contributes $29 million toward North Calgary Water Servicing Project

A major water infrastructure project in Calgary received a boost from Ottawa Tuesday, as federal and city officials announced a $29-million contribution toward the North Calgary Water Servicing Project.

Corey Hogan, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Calgary-Confederation, announced the federal funding alongside Mayor Jeromy Farkas at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant, where the future feeder main will eventually connect.

“The ability to turn on a tap and receive drinkable water is a miracle of modern civilization that’s become absolutely mundane most of the time,” Hogan said. “But as Calgarians, we unfortunately know too well that it’s not always mundane. It’s mundane until reliability and availability are challenged, and I am just so glad that working with the city and with today’s announcement, we’re able to bring a little more mundane into the lives of Calgarians.”

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The funding comes from the federal government’s Build Communities Strong Fund.

The North Calgary Water Servicing Project envisions a new, 22-kilometre steel water feeder main on the city’s northwest border, complemented by 10 support facilities including pump stations and reservoirs.

The northwest feeder main project is separate from the Bearspaw South feeder main replacement, though both are happening concurrently, and both have the shared goal of adding redundancy and capacity to Calgary’s water distribution network.

While the project’s total budget is $533 million, the first phase is expected to cost $123 million, with the city on the hook for $94 million.

Earlier this year, city council increased borrowing authority by more than $500 million to help finance several of Calgary’s water system and infrastructure upgrades, including the North Calgary Water Servicing Project. City officials hinted at the time the self-supported debt will be repaid over time through future water rate and levy increases, with metered households using 19 cubic metres of water per month expected to see their bills go up by $17 monthly, starting next year.

The feeder main will begin north of the Bearspaw plant near Stoney Trail and Nose Hill Drive and cross under Crowchild Trail up to 144th Avenue N.W., where it will connect to an existing feeder main at 14th Street N.W.

Construction began last fall and nearly seven kilometres of pipeline have been installed as part of the first phase of construction. Crews are also upgrading the Top Hill Reservoir, Big Hill East Reservoir and the Mountain View Pump Station.

This first section of the transmission line will add 30 million litres daily to the city’s water distribution capacity and is expected to be in service by early next year, according to the head of the city’s water utility.