Calgary's second major water main break in less than two years has pushed the city into what Mayor Jeromy Farkas calls a "new normal" for water conservation. The Bearspaw South Feeder Main, which supplies treated water to about 1.5 million people across Calgary and surrounding communities, broke last Tuesday in the northwest, leading to Stage 4 water restrictions that remain in effect even after a boil water advisory was lifted Sunday for affected neighbourhoods.

Water usage climbed to 510 million litres on Sunday, well above the city's sustainable threshold of 485 million litres. In a post on X Monday morning, Farkas warned that without changes to water use habits, the city will enter "loss-of-life territory" where firefighting and emergency response may be compromised.

The mayor told CBC News that the aging feeder main is at end-of-life and that short-term fixes won't restore reliable service, calling the infrastructure underneath Calgary's streets a "ticking time bomb." A replacement project is scheduled to begin this spring and run until late 2028.

Crews working around the clock have made progress at the break site along 16 Avenue NW, successfully removing the damaged pipe and beginning retrieval of fiber optic cables. According to a city news release, a single eastbound lane on 16 Avenue east of Sarcee Trail reopened ahead of Monday morning's commute, though westbound traffic between 49 Street and Sarcee Trail remains closed.

CityNews reported that officials are urging residents returning to work and school this week to maintain conservation efforts by running dishwashers and laundry only when full, limiting showers to under three minutes, and flushing toilets only when necessary.