As of Jan. 16, the mandatory water restrictions imposed on Calgarians and neighbouring cities have been lifted. This brings an end to more than two weeks of conservation measures following a major infrastructure failure in the city’s water system.
The restrictions were put in place following the rupture of the Bearspaw South feeder main on Dec. 30, 2025. This rupture was a significant break that required immediate shutdowns and complex repairs in order to ensure public safety and prevent further damage.
In response, residents and businesses were asked to reduce water use, including limiting showers, toilet flushes and the use of dishwashers and washing machines. Indoor facilities such as pools, rinks and recreation facilities were also advised to implement water reduction plans.
A boil water advisory was also implemented for the Parkdale, Montgomery, West Hillhurst and Point McKay communities.
Repair crews worked around the clock throughout the New Year period to assess the damage, isolate the affected section of the feeder main and complete repairs. According to the city, the work involved careful testing and monitoring to ensure the integrity of the pipe before returning it to full service.
With repairs completed and the system stabilized, city officials confirmed that normal water usage could safely resume as of Jan. 16. The City of Calgary thanked residents for their cooperation, noting that widespread compliance with conservation measures played a key role in maintaining system reliability during the outage.
The city notes that although the pipe is repaired, they will be conducting additional pipe reinforcement work in Spring 2026.
“We cannot guarantee that the pipe won't break unexpectedly again. If this happens before we can complete our planned reinforcements, we will move immediately to do some reinforcement repairs at the same time as the break is being repaired,” stated the City of Calgary.
This is the second time the Bearspaw South feeder main has experienced a break, the first being on June 5, 2024.
All updates and more information can be found at www.calgary.ca.
