Calgary's Critical Infrastructure Faces $1.7 Billion Crisis in Poor Condition
A sobering new report scheduled for council review this spring reveals alarming deterioration in Calgary's most essential infrastructure, accompanied by a multibillion-dollar price tag for necessary interventions.
Steep Increase in Infrastructure Deficit
The progress update on Calgary's 2026 corporate asset management plan, presented to the infrastructure and planning committee, indicates approximately $18 billion worth of city-owned assets currently languish in poor to very poor condition. This represents a dramatic escalation from the 2022 assessment, which estimated Calgary's infrastructure deficit at roughly $7.7 billion.
Most concerning is the $1.7 billion worth of these deteriorating assets classified as critical infrastructure. According to the report, failure of these assets would trigger citywide service disruptions and create potential life safety risks for residents.
Replacement Values and Repair Recommendations
Steve Wyton, manager of asset management planning for the city, clarified that these valuation figures reflect current replacement costs rather than repair or maintenance expenses. Wyton presented the report to the committee, noting that civic infrastructure in poor to very poor condition constitutes 11 percent of Calgary's total assets, with numbers subject to change before the final report presentation in May.
The document outlines more than $5.7 billion in recommended expenditures over the coming decade to replace, repair, or add redundancy to Calgary's most critical civic assets. This comprehensive list includes water feeder mains and treatment plants, sewage lines, bridges, tunnels, roads, transit amenities, buildings, and stormwater dams.
Systemic Risks and Required Investments
"When we talk about service consequence of failure assets, we're referring to infrastructure where failure would result in widespread, systemic breakdown with serious economic, environmental, health, safety and social impacts," Wyton told the committee.
He emphasized that all these assets require enhanced monitoring, planning, and risk mitigation, but ultimately demand significant reinvestment over the next ten years. "This is about reducing risk, protecting critical services, public safety and the systems Calgarians rely on every day," Wyton stated.
Specific Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
The report identifies particular vulnerabilities within Calgary's water treatment system. Both the Bearspaw and Glenmore water treatment plants contain single points of failure within critical subcomponents that lack recent inspection data.
To address these and other critical needs, the asset management plan recommends spending $590 million over the next decade on treatment plant upgrades and redundancy initiatives. Additionally, the plan calls for hiring additional employees to assess and deliver infrastructural operations, ensuring proper maintenance and monitoring of these essential systems.
The report's findings underscore the substantial financial challenge facing Calgary as it works to maintain the infrastructure that supports daily life for its residents while preventing potentially catastrophic service failures.
