{"id":16407,"date":"2025-02-13T02:55:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T02:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/13\/work-underway-to-twin-calgary-feeder-main-that-caused-water-crisis-calgary\/"},"modified":"2025-02-13T02:55:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T02:55:41","slug":"work-underway-to-twin-calgary-feeder-main-that-caused-water-crisis-calgary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/13\/work-underway-to-twin-calgary-feeder-main-that-caused-water-crisis-calgary\/","title":{"rendered":"Work underway to twin Calgary feeder main that caused water crisis – Calgary"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The City of Calgary<\/a> is designing a project to twin a section of the Bearspaw feeder main<\/a> after its rupture forced the city into months of water restrictions last summer.<\/p>\n

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Although details were limited during a presentation from city administration to councillors Wednesday, construction could begin later this year.<\/p>\n

The proposal would see twinning of up to five kilometres of the Bearspaw feeder main, along sections made of pre-stressed concrete cylindrical pipe (PCCP), the same that caused concerns around the pipe\u2019s integrity following its critical rupture last June.<\/p>\n

That situation forced the city into water restrictions that lasted months, as more than 20 repairs were completed on the pipe, which carries around 60 per cent of the city\u2019s drinking water.<\/p>\n

Steve Wyton, the city\u2019s manager for asset management said there remain sections of the feeder main that will need to be replaced or repaired over the coming years, and a twinned line would help with redundancy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe twinning option would alleviate that concern over the long-term and allow us to operate the pipe safely,\u201d Wyton told reporters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still do have to decide over the longer term what would be the use of the existing feeder main and time will tell as we go through the detailed design process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further details around costs, timelines and project delivery are expected to go to city council later this year with an implementation plan.<\/p>\n

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The city is considering microtunnelling to twin the line in an effort to minimize service disruptions and reduce impacts to residents and businesses in the Bowness and Montgomery neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe don\u2019t have to close roads, we don\u2019t have to disturb private property except for a shaft where you drop the tunnel boring machine,\u201d Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong told reporters.<\/p>\n

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Prior to choosing microtunnelling, the City of Calgary was looking into installing a liner inside the existing feeder main to help reinforce the pipe, but Wyton said it would\u2019ve required longer period of service disruptions and more significant construction impacts over a number of years.<\/p>\n

Less disruptions would be welcomed for Shawn Kearns, who operates Greenbriar Market + Refillery in Montgomery, which saw business take a hit during the lengthy repairs on the feeder main last summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw a slowdown of traffic and customers coming through the door and our customers were telling us they weren\u2019t coming because of the craziness over here,\u201d Kearns told Global News.<\/p>\n

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Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who represents areas that were impacted by the feeder main rupture, said she hopes to have communication with the public on a plan.<\/p>\n