City advancing work to strengthen Calgary’s water system

Strengthening Calgary’s water system is long‑term work. Some of it is visible. Some of it is foundational. All of it matters.

The Bearspaw South Feedermain breaks marked a turning point. They showed that while the failures were physical, the underlying risks were broader – including how the system is governed, how decisions are made and how long‑term reliability is planned.

In response to the breaks, Council directed an independent review and The City committed to coordinated action to stabilize, build and transform Calgary’s water utility.

Today, the Executive Committee heard an update on how the work is progressing and that the full program of work is on track.

A visible sign of progress is the accelerated construction of the Bearspaw Feeder Main replacement project. Construction remains on track for the pipe to be in service by the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, The City is doing essential work that is less visible but equally important – strengthening how the utility is led and overseen.

This includes bringing The City’s water‑related functions together into a new, integrated Water Utility department. Work to design the organizational structure is underway to clearly define roles, streamline decision-making and make accountability clear.

A major milestone will be hiring a dedicated Water Utility Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead it. This will create a single point of accountability, as identified by the Independent Review Panel. Interviews for the COO were completed in May, and The City expects to have an offer finalized by the end of June.

Stronger oversight is also being established to provide Council with independent, expert advice on system reliability, risk and major investment decisions. Recruitment is underway for the Chair of the new Water Utility Oversight Board (WUOB), a key step toward the full board being in place later this year.

In the interim, a weekly executive forum has been created to support timely decisions and escalations of risks.

Together, this work lays the foundation for stronger oversight, clearer accountability and improved long-term reliability as the utility continues to evolve.

Today’s update shows that work is progressing. It also recognizes that there is still significant work ahead.

“Calgarians expect us to get this right,” says Heather Johnson, Director of the Water Transformation Program. “This is not about celebrating. It’s about being transparent about what’s underway, what’s changing and what still needs to be done. The work is complex, but the goal is simple – a water system Calgarians can rely on for generations to come.”

The next quarterly update is planned for September.

More information is available on Calgary.ca.