Calgary Officials Unveil Transformative Water System Action Plan
In what city administrators are calling a pivotal moment for municipal infrastructure, Calgary officials have presented a comprehensive action plan to address recommendations from the independent investigation into the 2024 Bearspaw South feeder main failure. The nearly 30-point implementation strategy represents a fundamental shift in how the city manages its critical water systems.
A Four-Phase Roadmap for Systemic Change
The detailed implementation plan outlines 27 specific action items scheduled for completion between now and late 2027. This ambitious timeline is structured around four distinct phases designed to achieve three primary objectives:
- Stabilizing Calgary's critical water infrastructure to prevent future failures
- Establishing new leadership and governance structures for water management
- Developing robust infrastructure planning frameworks with enhanced regulatory oversight
Chief Administrative Officer David Duckworth emphasized the plan's comprehensive nature during his presentation to city council's executive committee. "We are addressing every recommendation the panel has made to improve our water utility and our organization," Duckworth stated. "Our path ahead will ensure the safety and reliability of our water system, with the right infrastructure, systems and governance in place for generations to come."
Addressing Systemic Governance Failures
The action plan responds directly to findings from a nine-month third-party investigation led by retired ATCO executive Siegfried Kiefer. Released in January, the panel's report identified significant systemic gaps in Calgary's water utility management, describing what investigators called "an environment of unclear accountability" and "a culture of risk tolerance and decision deferral."
These governance shortcomings culminated in the June 5, 2024, failure of the Bearspaw South feeder main - Calgary's most important water pipeline. The same pipeline experienced a second rupture in late December 2025 beneath 16th Avenue N.W., further highlighting the urgency of systemic reform.
Structural Reorganization and Financial Commitments
Under the proposed implementation strategy, Calgary will undergo significant organizational changes to its water management approach:
- Creation of a dedicated water department with segmented financial reporting
- Recruitment of a chief operating officer through third-party consultation
- Establishment of a water utility oversight board comprised of infrastructure experts
The oversight board members would be selected by a chairperson who will also be recruited through independent consultation, ensuring expertise-driven governance. Council will vote on establishing this oversight structure through a new bylaw.
Financial commitments accompany these structural changes. City officials are requesting immediate approval for a 2026 budget adjustment that would withdraw $3 million from Calgary's water utility sustainment reserve to fund initial implementation efforts.
Long-Term Vision: Municipal Corporation Model
The fourth and final phase of the implementation plan, scheduled for 2027, outlines steps toward transitioning Calgary's water utility to a municipally controlled corporation model. This approach would mirror the governance structure of Enmax, Calgary's electricity provider.
However, this significant transformation requires substantial public consultation and democratic oversight. The transition to a municipal corporation must be preceded by a public hearing and subsequent council vote scheduled for next year, ensuring community input guides this fundamental change in water utility governance.
This comprehensive action plan represents Calgary's most substantial water system reform initiative in decades, addressing both immediate infrastructure concerns and long-term governance challenges identified in the wake of the Bearspaw South feeder main failures.
