Calgary Mayor Warns of ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ After Second Major Water Main Break
CALGARY : Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has warned residents that the city’s aging water infrastructure poses a serious and growing risk, following a second “catastrophic” water main break in the city’s northwest in less than two years.
Speaking Monday on CBC Radio’s Calgary Eyeopener, Farkas said the Bearspaw feeder main has reached the end of its service life and can no longer be reliably repaired. “No amount of short-term fixes, no amount of patchwork will be able to get this back into a reliable condition,” he said.
The latest break triggered water restrictions and a boil-water advisory for several northwest communities, including Parkdale, Montgomery, Point McKay, West Hillhurst and West Hillhurst, which were lifted late Sunday. Residents have been urged to conserve water by taking shorter showers and reducing toilet flushing.
In a post on X, Farkas warned that Calgary’s water usage has slipped into a “red zone,” exceeding the city’s target of 485 million litres per day, a level required to maintain drinking water supplies and emergency services.
“Without changes, we’ll enter loss-of-life territory, where firefighting and emergency response may be compromised,” the mayor wrote.
City officials say conservation efforts are especially critical as many Calgarians return to work and school at the start of 2026, stressing that reduced water use now is essential to protect lives and maintain critical services.
