Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The City of Calgary has called overreliance on its Glenmore Water Treatment Plant a “serious concern” given rising water usage following a major water main break on Dec. 30.
“The Glenmore Plant is small, and we are currently running three times normal to keep up with our demand. We are working very hard to keep it running at this capacity, but if there are any mechanical or other issues, it will have a serious impact on our water supply. We also need to keep enough water in the Glenmore Reservoir to get us through the winter,” City of Calgary Infrastructure Services general manager Michael Thompson said.
A City of Calgary news release stated while during the 2024 water main break multiple repairs were made before the feeder main was brought back into service, in this instance the priority is to get the Bearspaw South Feeder Main “up and running as soon as possible and reinforcing parts of the line as future work.”
“This work will likely include reinforcing segments of pipe using the concrete encasement method which we used in 2024. These reinforcements will take place as soon as possible, no later than the spring of 2026,” Thompson said.
“I understand this news regarding the stability of the pipe is not what anyone wants to hear. While planning for urgent reinforcement work, we will be looking for every possible opportunity to advance the Bearspaw South Feeder Main Replacement project to get us out of this vulnerable situation,” he added.
Thompson said feeder main shutdowns may also be necessary in the spring and fall to complete reinforcement work.
City of Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief Susan Henry also noted the importance of conserving water until the feeder main is back in operation.
Calgarians used 510 million litres of water on Jan 4, the release stated, significantly above the safe zone of 485 million litres.
“It is imperative that Calgarians continue to conserve water, so demand does not outstrip supply,” Henry said.
