Thursday, April 16, 2026
It’s back to basics for the Bearspaw South Feeder Main inspection.
The City of Calgary recently deployed a robotic device named “PipeDiver” to complete a proactive condition assessment of the steel section of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, a City of Calgary release said.
“Unfortunately, the PipeDiver stopped moving near the beginning of its inspection and attempts to get it “swimming” again were unsuccessful. Our crews are planning to retrieve the PipeDiver this week,” the release said.
Current operation of the feeder main is not affected with no impacts to the ability to supply water to Calgary and the region, the release said, and water restrictions will not be necessary.
“Assessment of this section of pipe remains important, and we are evaluating options for completing the inspection at a later date once we have incorporated learnings from the first launch,” the release said.
The Bearspaw South Feeder Main experienced a catastrophic failure at the end of 2025 resulting in restrictions on water use and extensive repairs. It had previously failed in a different location in 2024.
