Calgary councillor questions feeder main replacement.

Calgary is fast-tracking a parallel steel pipe replacement after two ruptures, and a city councillor says the planned tie-in may not remove a single point of failure.

The City of Calgary is accelerating replacement work on the Bearspaw feeder main after two ruptures in less than two years. The fast-tracked plan adds a steel pipe parallel to the existing line and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness has raised concerns that the new pipe will not be directly twinned to the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant and could leave a single point of failure. Known details: - Two ruptures on the Bearspaw feeder main prompted emergency responses and temporary water restrictions. - The city is fast-tracking a project to install a parallel steel pipe, with the first stage from Shaganappi Pump Station to 73 Street NW and a planned second stage to 89 Street NW. - Coun. Jennifer Wyness says the new pipe will tie into an existing steel line under the Bow River rather than directly connecting to the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant, which she says keeps a single point of failure. - The city says the steel section under the river carries different risk than the prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) being replaced and that longer-term feeder-main projects are in planning, including a North Calgary feeder by 2029 and a southern feeder by 2031. Summary: Councillor concerns center on whether the fast-tracked replacement creates true redundancy or preserves a single point of failure. City officials say they are evaluating options and note broader feeder-main projects are planned; more information on the second stage is expected in the coming weeks.