March 10 update on Bearspaw South Feeder Main repair work

Calgary is currently under Stage 4 water restrictions as crews begin repair work on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, which is expected to last for the next four weeks. 

Water use 

Yesterday’s water use was 496 million litres, which puts us in the safe and sustainable green zone. Thank you to everyone—Calgarians, businesses and our regional partners—for your collective efforts to save water and protect our system while this critical work is underway.  

Please keep doing your part and talk with family, friends, coworkers and customers to spread the word about the steps you are taking to save water. 

Saving just 25 litres of water per person per day makes a meaningful difference, and is as simple as: 

• Flushing toilets only when needed: each skipped flush saves nearly five litres of water
• Keeping showers to three minutes: each minute less saves about seven litres of water
• Running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads. Dishwashers use around 28 litres a cycle, and a front load washing machine uses 62 litres, so only running full loads can go a long way. 

These small, high-impact actions help keep our water system stable. 

Construction and traffic update 

Crews have adjusted how water moves through Calgary’s drinking water system as the feeder main is out of service.  

Pumps at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant are shut down and valves are closed to isolate the feeder main. Today, the first section of the pipe is fully drained, and excavation has begun across work areas at Sarcee Trail and Point McKay Park. Draining continues for the other sections of the pipe and is expected to be completed by end of the day.  

In the coming days, after the pipe is fully exposed, crews will begin reinforcing it with a steel cage and concrete casing. 

While repair work is underway, the following road closures and detours are in effect: 

• Lane reductions are in place on 16 Avenue N.W. near the Sarcee Trail interchange, with one lane open in each direction.
• The exit ramp from 16 Avenue N.W. onto Sarcee Trail and the exit off Sarcee Trail onto westbound 16 Avenue N.W. are both closed.
• 16 Avenue westbound remains open but changed lane patterns will cause traffic to move slowly.
• Drivers heading west on 16 Avenue N.W. are encouraged to plan ahead. 

Please be careful around all construction areas and follow posted signage. When travelling on pathways affected by worksites, use the ramps provided and dismount your bike. For your safety, do not enter work areas. These are active construction sites, and only City crews and contractors wearing proper protective equipment are permitted onsite. We thank everyone for respecting our crews so they can carry out this work safely and efficiently. 

Stay informed 

For the most uptodate information, practical tips and resources visit: calgary.ca/savewater