Lethbridge reviewing pipe infrastructure in wake of Calgary’s water woes

As the repair of a major water-main rupture in Calgary wraps up, the City of Lethbridge continues to probe its own pipe infrastructure.

Lethbridge’s elected officials were given an operational rundown by city administration Tuesday.

Administration told councillors Lethbridge’s water transmission system moves treated water from the river valley up to reservoirs across the city.

Administration says while the system uses high pressure to push the water uphill, this doesn’t make pipe breaks any more likely.

According to administration, city staff routinely check pipe conditions as well as past break history.

They use that data to guide daily operations, administration says.

The system also has backup routes, administration says, so reservoirs can continue to supply water during repairs while crews fix issues.

Administration plans to bring forward several projects for capital funding approval later this year.

“We have developed the underground infrastructure master plan, which has actually made recommendations to address redundancy and capacity in our transmission system,” said Adam McDonald, City of Lethbridge municipal engineering manager.

“So, there’s a range of projects that involve interconnections between existing mains, as well as full twinnings or replacements.”

Plans for upgrades have been ongoing for several years.

Capital improvement project deliberations are scheduled to take place in November.

Calgary’s summer 2024 incident

A six-and-a-half-foot-tall concrete pipe located beneath 16 Avenue N.W. burst suddenly the evening of June 5, 2024.

That night, water spewed across the road, flooding nearby sports fields.

It was just the start of what officials described at the time as one of the most significant infrastructure failures in recent memory.

A local state of emergency was declared.

Water restrictions were put in place for a lengthy stretch, sometimes requiring Calgarians to completely cease water use and other times requiring them to limit water use to varying degrees.

In the months that followed the break, the city carried out 29 separate repairs along the feeder main.

The final repairs were completed by November 2024.

More recent trouble in Calgary

Water billowed up from under the road in northwest Calgary again the night of Dec. 30, 2025, causing significant flooding.

Water on the road rose almost to the height of its median.

Water could be seen flowing off both sides of the road, taking over pathways and continuing into the park.

Multiple vehicles became stuck, and more than a dozen people had to be rescued.

No injuries were reported.

A boil water advisory was issued by Alberta Health Services for parts of Montgomery, Parkdale, Point McKay and West Hillhurst.

All Calgarians were placed under water use restrictions during repairs, which wrapped just over two weeks later.

An independent review panel is calling for urgent and far-reaching reforms, warning Calgary’s water system remains at risk without major changes.

Meanwhile, the province is also launching a review of Calgary’s water woes.

The province has demanded the City of Calgary turn over reams of documents dating back two decades.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has said he takes no issue with the province stepping in.