Crucial action is needed to solve what are deep and systemic challenges tied to Calgary’s water infrastructure, says an independent panel studying the 2024 failure of the city’s key water feeder main.
The report was put together over the past nine months and was led by Siegfried Kiefer, a former ATCO executive.
It is unrelated to a 600-page city report presented to council last December. Council is set to learn more about the report as part of its meeting today.
Calgary’s water system is one of the largest and most complex in Canada, the report reads.
The panel said that the 2024 failure of the Bearspaw south feeder main exposed “systemic gaps” in how the water utility managed critical infrastructure.
“The panel has traced these gaps to external pressures, risk and asset integrity processes, ineffective management, and a lack of effective governance oversight,” the report reads.
The panel goes on to lay out several urgent and near-term recommendations.
It wrote that the city should maintain the Bearspaw feeder main and provide redundancy for drinking water supply.
It also “strongly recommends” accelerating the process of steel pipe duplication within 12 to 14 months, using emergency procurement procedures and while leveraging the expertise of the private sector.
“It is recognized that execution is complicated by roads and residential development, and that the priority must be on safety as well as innovation and not as much on cost in order to achieve an aggressive timeline,” the report reads.
In the near-term, the panel recommended establishing a dedicated water utility department, hiring independent experts to provide oversight, and strengthening how the city responds to risks and asset integrity.
It writes that, taken together, the recommendations would address the “systemic gaps” that led to the water main failure, and would introduce a “culture of accountability and proactive risk management.”
“The panel expects that these reforms can be largely implemented within the next 12 months. The panel strongly advises a mindset of ‘chronic unease,’ acting with urgency to address the risks and gaps that we have reported,” the report reads.
On Dec. 30, a second water main break in Calgary’s Bowness neighbourhood led to significant flooding.
It resulted in ongoing water restrictions, and a boil-water advisory for several northwest communities, which was lifted on Sunday.
More to come
