Calgary’s water restrictions are lifted, officials say

Water restrictions in place last month were lifted for Calgary Thursday. With another round of restrictions in the fall, some businesses are wary of what's next

Calgary’s water restrictions are now over, officials said Thursday.

“Calgary you did it — we did it,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said.

The update came after the city said Wednesday that crews had turned on pumps and confirmed the Bearspaw South feeder main, which carries about 60 per cent of the city’s drinking water, was now operational.

Water restrictions began in Calgary and surrounding areas last month for much-needed repairs to the aging feeder main that saw two catastrophic breaks since June 2024 that prompted long-lasting water restrictions and major flooding in the city’s northwest.

March’s workflow on the Bearspaw South feeder main included reinforcing nine high-risk segments of the pipe, which involved concrete work and replacing valves.

With the work complete, officials say recreation facilities will now be fully operational, and hot tubs and kiddie pools can be refilled.

‘Water is flowing’ as system stabilizes

City officials say the system is now stable following weeks of intensive work on the critical line.

“The system is stable and effective immediately all water restrictions are lifted,” said Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services.

Thompson credited residents and regional partners for reducing demand during the shutdown, saying those efforts were key to keeping the system functioning.

“I know it wasn’t easy, but let me assure you … by taking action, you allowed us to safely run for when mortar treatment has increased capacity and to keep our underground water storage tanks full so that we had the water available when emergencies arose.”

Those emergencies included responding to other water main breaks and fires during the restriction period, officials said.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas echoed those remarks, saying the past several weeks required a city-wide effort to reduce water use and allow crews to complete urgent repairs.

“Over the past 24 days, each and every one of you stepped up and gave our crews the time they needed to complete these critical planned reinforcements.”

“Together, we reduced our water together, we kept our system stable, and together, we ensured our city could get through this frustrating shutdown and get this work done.”

Businesses hit hard during restrictions

While many residents adapted, some local businesses say the restrictions came at a steep cost.

“It’s a slight relief knowing that restrictions are going to be lifted,” said Jeff Soch, service manager with NAIAD Irrigation Systems.

“But things are still really uncertain because there’s a high possibility that repairs are not going to hold and any kind of restrictions are bad for us.”

Soch says even lower-level restrictions can significantly impact operations during the upcoming peak summer season.

“Stage one and stage two restrictions definitely impact us. We see significantly less bookings throughout the season,” he said.

“To give you an idea for stage four, which is essentially catastrophic for us, we were at a $350,000 loss.”

He says the city has offered his business compensation of $5,000, but that amount wasn’t nearly enough to offset the losses.

“In reality, our business has been impacted for the last three years, even from stage one restrictions as a result of drought.”

The impact has also extended beyond revenue, affecting staffing and long-term planning.

“We unfortunately had to lay off quite a number of employees,” Soch said.

He adds the uncertainty is also making it harder to recruit new workers.

“It’s impacting our ability to find new employees — they’re not looking into these industries anymore because they’re just so unstable.”

As a result, NAIAD and other irrigation companies in the city are now considering leaving Calgary altogether.

“We’ve looked into branching out into other locations, other provinces as a result of these restrictions,” Soch said.

Across the industry, concerns remain high about what could happen next.

“The sentiment out there is that everybody is just absolutely worried — you want to be positive, but at the same time, you can’t ignore this potential issue.”

What’s ahead?

This batch of work may be done, but the Bearspaw feeder main is still in dire straits and will need to be replaced, the city said.

A new pipe is being built, but it won’t be operational until December at the latest.

A news release from the city says crews are planning for a pipe inspection from April 9 to 11, where they will place a mechanical device in a section of the feeder main to assess its condition.

The city says it does not expect water restrictions will be needed as that work is completed.

There is another round of water restrictions planned for the fall, when the city says it will need to shut down the feeder main for the final stage of the repairs.

But if another issue occurs between then and now, the city says further water restrictions are likely.

Officials warn pipe could still fail

City leaders stress that while repairs are complete, the feeder main remains at risk.

“We will need to shut the pipe down again to connect the new replacement pipe, but the existing pipe is still terminally ill,” Thompson said.

“Although this phase of reinforcement work is complete, we cannot guarantee that the pipe won’t break again.”

Farkas echoed that concern, warning the situation is far from resolved.

“These reinforcements do not mean that we are out of the woods. They do not mean that the pipe is fixed permanently and we cannot afford to become complacent,” he said.

The mayor says the city is working to fast-track a long-term solution.

“We are taking what would normally be a four-year project and delivering it in less than one year.”

Planning for future disruptions and continued push for water conservation

City officials say residents and businesses should remain prepared in case restrictions return.

That includes revisiting plans developed during previous shutdowns.

“We’re talking to our partners that are running large festivals and I’m asking residents and businesses to be prepared,” Thompson said.

“You should be dusting those plans off, looking at those plans and just being ready.”

Meanwhile, the city says reducing water use — even with restrictions lifted — can still make a difference and lower utility bills.

“Even without restrictions, consider continuing habits like running full loads of laundry and dishes and finding and fixing leaks,” officials said in a news release.

Other options include using rain barrels to collect water for plants and gardens.

Further ideas can be found on the city’s website.