The Alberta government has launched a formal municipal inspection into Calgary's management of the troubled Bearspaw South Feeder Main, following two catastrophic failures that left residents under water restrictions for months.
Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams announced on Friday that the province was ordering a formal municipal inspection into the management, administration and operational practices of the city of Calgary related to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main failures.
The move comes as Calgary continues ongoing repairs to prevent another crisis.
Inspector gets broad powers
The inspection will be led by former board chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator, David Goldie. Goldie will be able to collect testimony from municipal officials, among others he considers necessary to provide evidence.
Goldie will have the ability to call witnesses and compel testimony – including under oath – to put together a complete, accurate assessment of decision-making around Calgary's water infrastructure.
He brings more than 40 years of experience in technical, operational, and governance roles across Alberta's infrastructure sectors, and previously served as board chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator.
The inspection represents a significant escalation in provincial oversight of municipal operations.
The province says "inspections are an extraordinary measure" that will determine whether additional provincial direction or correction is needed.
"This authority is rarely used. It's not routine, but reasonable given the scope of the system failures."
Timeline and cost
The review should be completed by the end of the year, and findings will be made public. It will come at a cost of about $1.2 million from the Municipal Affairs operating budget, Williams said.
The province will cover all costs.
"The goal is simple: to better understand the circumstances around the feeder main failures, identify lessons that can strengthen infrastructure management in the future, and provide transparency and accountability for Calgarians and to Albertans," Williams said.
Political implications
The inspection comes with potential political overtones.
The goal is simple: to better understand the circumstances around the feeder main failures, identify lessons that can strengthen infrastructure management in the future, and provide transparency and accountability for Calgarians and to Albertans.
The governing UCP has previously tied the system's failures to former Calgary mayor and now Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi.
The minister deflected questions that the motive behind the review was to ultimately pin the blame on former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who is the current leader of the Alberta NDP. The report would be released within spitting distance of a potential spring 2027 provincial election.
"Let's call today's announcement what it is: a waste of taxpayer dollars that will produce no real results for Calgarians who just want to see their water pipes fixed and water restrictions lifted," wrote NDP MLA Kathleen Ganley in response.
Mayor supports review
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas welcomed the provincial intervention.
"(I) really welcome that ... really appreciative of the minister's engagement," Farkas told Global News on Friday morning. "I think it's appropriate for them to be checking our work, doing their own due diligence.
"We will cooperate fully with the appointed inspector, Mr. David Goldie, and ensure all relevant information is made available in a timely and transparent manner," Farkas wrote.
Recurring crisis impact
The inspection follows two major failures of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main - the first on June 5, 2024, and the second on December 30, 2025.
The Bearspaw South Feeder Main ruptured Tuesday night, flooding the Trans-Canada Highway near the site of Canada Olympic Park. Drivers were trapped in a river of icy water, and 13 people had to be rescued from eight vehicles.
The feeder main supplies treated water to approximately 1.5 million people in Calgary and surrounding communities including Airdrie, Chestermere, Strathmore and the Tsuut'ina Nation.
An independent panel, commissioned by the previous city council, investigated the feeder main's 2024 failure and concluded that the city's water assets had been mismanaged for at least 20 years.
That panel recommended the city corporatize its water utility management.
Farkas says other mayors from across the country have reached out to discuss the broader issues of infrastructure deficits and governance in the wake of Calgary's crisis.
The inspection represents the latest chapter in Calgary's ongoing water infrastructure challenges, as the city races to complete a replacement feeder main while managing an aging system that has twice failed catastrophically.
