Winnipeg water mains may face risks similar to Calgary's

Calgary recently suffered a major feeder-main rupture that prompted an independent review, and Winnipeg officials say their feeder mains are smaller, interconnected and subject to ongoing inspections, with roughly 21 kilometres checked so far and a new large-pipe assessment planned later this year.

A major feeder main ruptured in Calgary in late December and repairs are still underway. That failure followed an earlier break in 2024 and led to an independent review. Winnipeg has similar pre‑stressed concrete cylinder pipes in its system that were installed decades ago, and the Calgary incident has prompted local residents and officials to compare risks. Known points: - Calgary experienced a large feeder-main rupture that caused flooding and led to strict water use limits; an independent review panel was formed and released findings about inspection and maintenance shortfalls. - The City of Winnipeg reports it has about 119 kilometres of similar feeder mains but says its pipes are generally smaller, interconnected and built to stricter standards than some other cities. - Winnipeg officials say nearly 21 kilometres of feeder mains have been inspected so far and the city plans a new assessment of large-diameter pipes later this year. Summary: Winnipeg faces some of the same aging infrastructure challenges highlighted by Calgary's rupture, but city officials describe design differences, ongoing inspections and interconnections that they say lower the likelihood of a comparable failure. The next procedural step reported is a planned assessment of large-diameter pipes later this year.