Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Calgary Lifts Boil-Water Advisories as Mayor Warns Water Use Now Threatens Emergency Response

Officials set a 485 million-litre daily target to protect firefighting capacity during repairs on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main.

A small section of the damaged Bearspaw South feeder main pipe is removed while repairs were underway on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
A major water main break flooded a large section of 16th Avenue N.W. in Montgomery and Bowness, stranding about 10 vehicles late on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
City crews work to fix a major main break on the Bearspaw South feeder main on 16th Avenue near Sarcee Trail N.W. on Jan. 1, 2026.
City crews continue to work on cutting out the damaged section of the water main break in Calgary on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

Overview

  • Water use climbed to about 495 million litres on Saturday and 510 million litres on Sunday, levels the mayor called unsustainable and dangerous for essential services.
  • Boil-water advisories for roughly 3,000 residents in Parkdale, Montgomery, Point McKay and West Hillhurst were lifted after city and provincial testing confirmed safety.
  • Residents who did not run taps in the past 24 hours were told to flush household systems after the advisories were removed.
  • Repair crews have dewatered the site, excavated the break on 16 Avenue NW and moved into removing damaged pipe sections, with video showing a severely damaged segment being lifted out.
  • The Bearspaw South Feeder Main supplies about 60% of Calgary’s treated water, and this is the second rupture of the line since the summer of 2024.