Lethbridge Water Infrastructure Demonstrates Resilience Against Potential Main Line Breaks
In the aftermath of Calgary's Bearspaw South feeder main break in December, which caused extensive water restrictions, a City of Lethbridge official has provided reassurance about the southern Alberta municipality's own water infrastructure. Joel Sanchez, Lethbridge's director of infrastructure services, informed city council that the water system is designed to maintain service levels even if one of the main water transmission lines were to fail.
Reservoir Capacity Provides Critical Backup
During a council meeting earlier this week, Sanchez emphasized the importance of the city's reservoir network. "In the event of a transmission main break, the remaining — again I want to stress this — reservoirs can maintain the level of service or the water availability until the repairs are completed for the most part," he stated. This redundancy is crucial for ensuring continuous water supply to residents and businesses during emergency situations.
Lethbridge's water treatment plant is situated in the river valley, requiring treated water to be pumped to six strategically located reservoirs across the city. This distributed storage system forms a key component of the municipality's contingency planning.
Aging Infrastructure and Proactive Assessment
Sanchez acknowledged that Lethbridge, like many Canadian municipalities, has some aging water transmission pipes in its system. Some of the main pipelines are made of the same type of material as the one that has twice burst in Calgary within 18 months, raising legitimate concerns about infrastructure durability.
City officials have been conducting a comprehensive risk assessment of the entire water distribution system, examining multiple factors including:
- Pipe age and material composition
- Historical break data and failure patterns
- Current system capacity and performance metrics
- Expected lifespan of existing infrastructure
"Using all the information that we have on hand, we believe that the system is working as expected and we have different elements to monitor the performance," Sanchez explained, adding that the city would be prepared to respond appropriately if Lethbridge experienced a break similar to Calgary's recent incident.
Infrastructure Planning and Future Improvements
The city recently completed an underground infrastructure master plan that encompasses both water and wastewater systems. This document provides a detailed snapshot of current capacity and projected infrastructure lifespans, serving as a foundation for strategic planning.
Sanchez noted that Lethbridge has managed its water system effectively for decades, but numerous improvements are already in the planning stages. Later this year, administration plans to present council with a project to twin one of the city's main transmission lines, creating additional redundancy in the system.
"We believe we still have some more years in the existing line, but you never know," Sanchez cautioned, highlighting the unpredictable nature of infrastructure failures. Additional projects, including the twinning of another pipeline, are also being prepared as part of the city's proactive approach to water system management.
Context: Calgary's Bearspaw Main Break
The December 30 break along Calgary's Bearspaw South feeder main, which carries approximately 60 percent of that city's treated water, resulted in more than two weeks of Stage 4 water restrictions while repairs were completed. The incident has prompted municipalities across Alberta to re-evaluate their own water infrastructure resilience.
Calgary officials estimate that replacing the Bearspaw South feeder main will likely cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" and is expected to be completed by December 2026. This substantial investment underscores the critical importance of maintaining and upgrading municipal water infrastructure before catastrophic failures occur.
Lethbridge's proactive assessment and planning approach demonstrates how municipalities can learn from neighboring cities' experiences while developing their own resilience strategies for essential services.
