CALGARY, ALTA. – According to City of Calgary officials, the troubled Bearspaw South Feeder Main replacement project remains on schedule, with approximately two kilometres of new steel feeder main installed across 12 work areas in Bowness, Montgomery and Parkdale.
The entire replacement is over six kilometres long.
“The first segments of steel pipe arrived on June 18, 2026, and since then crews have been working rapidly to have it installed making significant progress in just one month,” said Darren Finney, manager, major projects, in a statement. “The commitment of our teams, contractors and the impacted community continues to drive this project forward for all Calgarians.”
The beleaguered feeder main, which provides treated drinking water to 60 per cent of the city, burst once in 2024, leading to months of water restrictions and then ruptured again in late December 2025, forcing a new round of restrictions in the city of1.6 million people.
This project is being delivered in multiple phases after the city developed a revised plan that urgently expedites construction of a replacement for the feeder main. The project will add a parallel steel pipe of the same size as the existing one. Over time, this new pipe will take over service from the current line.
The city notes Bearspaw Feedermain RepairsStatusUnder ConstructionValue$15.8MLocationBearspaw Dam Rd NW, Calgary ABSectorPublic – CityTypeWater/SewerData as of July 27, 2026 began in June and there are now 40 segments of the new steel feeder main installed along three blocks on 34 Avenue N.W. in Bowness.
Work is being completed using an open-cut approach, advancing in sections along 34 Avenue N.W., with multiple crews active at the same. This allows roads, sidewalks and property access to be restored as construction moves through the area.
With the first installations complete, access to affected blocks will be restored. Construction will continue along 34 Avenue N.W. until the end of year as crews install steel feeder main pipe, complete utility work and restore affected areas once work is finished.
Gaham was selected by the City of Calgary to deliver Stage B of the South Bearspaw feeder main repairs.
Bearspaw South Feedermain Improvements Stage AStatusUnder ConstructionValue$235.4MLocationCalgary AB T2P 4K7SectorPublic – CityTypeWater/SewerData as of July 27, 2026, which includes microtunneling construction is also progressing on schedule. Crews are nearing completion of the microtunneling and installation of the concrete carrier pipe, which will enclose the new steel feeder main. This phase of work is expected to be completed within the next month, the city adds.
To date, more than 1,100 metres of steel feeder main have been installed inside the concrete carrier pipe across Stage A, between the Shaganappi Pump Station and 73 Street N.W.
This fall, work to connect the new feeder main to Calgary’s drinking water system will be completed in three phases, broken down as follows:
Shaganappi pump station work:is currently estimated to begin in mid-September at the Shaganappi pump station. Work will be conducted to prepare for connecting the new pipe to the existing system.
Pipe tie-in connections:is currently estimated to begin in mid-October and includes open-cut construction similar to ongoing Stage B construction. Tie-in work will occur at various locations along the new feeder main pipe and may mean water restrictions at that time.
Feeder main commissioning:is currently estimated to begin mid-November. Commissioning work will include disinfecting the pipe, filling it with water and then taking the existing feeder main out of service.
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