Calgary suffers 2nd 'catastrophic' water main break in under 2 years

A catastrophic water main break occurred on December 31, 2025, along 16th Avenue NW at the Sarcee Trail interchange in Calgary, Alberta, causing significant flooding that required the rescue of 13 people from 8 stranded vehicles. This marks the second 'catastrophic' break in the Bearspaw south feeder main within two years, with the previous one occurring in June 2024. The pipe, installed in 1975, failed due to a 'rapid drop in pressure' near 69th Street N.W. The city issued boil water advisories for parts of Parkdale, Montgomery, Point McKay, and West Hillhurst, affecting approximately 3,100 homes. Stage 4 water restrictions were implemented, and officials estimate repairs could take 7-10 days if only one repair is needed, though the timeline remains uncertain. The break happened despite continuous monitoring of the pipe since the 2024 incident.