Federal government commits $29M to north Calgary water main project

The federal government has allocated $29 million to the North Calgary Water Servicing project, which aims to improve the water infrastructure in Calgary's northern neighborhoods. This contribution, from the Build Communities Strong Fund, supports the first stage of the project, which involves constructing nearly several kilometers of feeder main and upgrading existing facilities such as the Top Hill Reservoir, Big Hill East Reservoir, and Mountain View Pump Station.

The first stage, scheduled to commence next year, will provide an additional 30 million liters of water to Calgarians, sourced from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant. The total budget for the project is $533 million, with $123 million allocated for the first phase, as the city covers the remaining $94 million.

When completed by 2029, the north feeder main is expected to run 22 kilometers and include up to 10 support facilities, connecting the treatment plant to the Northridge Feeder Main at 144 Avenue and 14 Street N.W. This project will deliver 100 million liters of drinking water to north Calgary communities, potentially increasing to over 400 million liters daily once a new water treatment plant is built.

The reliability of Calgary's water system has recently been a concern due to two critical ruptures along the Bearspaw feeder main, which carries 60 percent of the city's drinking water. Fast-tracked construction is underway to replace that feeder main, expected to be completed by the end of the year.

To finance these projects, city council approved a $609.5 million budget increase and expanded the city's borrowing capacity by over $500 million, resulting in a 14-percent rate increase in 2027, or an additional $17 monthly. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas emphasized the need for continued collaboration with other levels of government to secure additional funding for the water infrastructure projects.