The City of Calgary has taken a significant step forward in replacing a critical piece of water infrastructure, the failure of which plunged the city into a state of emergency last summer. Officials have begun soliciting proposals from contractors for the first phase of constructing a new Bearspaw South Feeder Main.
Project Timeline and Procurement Launch
The city issued a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to potential builders on Tuesday, December 16, 2025. This marks the initial procurement step following the completion of the pipeline's design. The city plans to select the most competitive bid, with the goal of breaking ground on the new water artery in the spring of 2026.
The entire Bearspaw South Feeder Main Improvements Project is a massive undertaking expected to stretch into late 2028. However, city officials have cautioned that timelines could be affected by factors such as severe weather, supply chain issues, or other unforeseen challenges.
Phased Construction and Technical Details
The project will be built in two distinct stages. The first phase will employ trenchless construction methods, utilizing a remotely operated boring machine. This technique is chosen specifically to minimize disruption to Calgarians and to navigate under major obstacles without extensive digging.
Key obstacles the boring machine must circumvent include:
- 16th Avenue N.W.
- The Bow River
- Sarcee Trail
- The CPKC rail line
The second stage of the pipeline will run from 73rd Street N.W. to 89th Street N.W., with a potential extension reaching all the way to the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant itself. The design for this second phase is scheduled for completion by the late summer of 2026.
Replacing a Critical and Problematic Pipe
When finished, the new pipeline will be approximately six kilometres long and will run parallel to the existing feeder main it is destined to replace. This aging pipe is responsible for delivering drinking water to roughly 60% of Calgary's southern communities, carrying treated water from the Bearspaw plant.
The urgency for this replacement project was underscored by catastrophic failures in 2024. The existing feeder main ruptured in June of that year, leading the city to declare a state of local emergency. Calgarians were subjected to strict water conservation measures, including a ban on outdoor water use and a mandate to reduce consumption by a quarter.
A temporary repair was completed, but a month later, additional segments of the pipe failed, forcing residents to resume severe water restrictions for another four weeks until the end of August 2024. The new, parallel pipeline is designed to provide a modern, reliable replacement for this vital piece of infrastructure and prevent a repeat of the widespread service disruptions.
