City of Calgary Feeder Main Repair

On June 5th, a rupture in Calgary’s 78” feeder main pipe sent the city into a local state of emergency. The ruptured pipe carried nearly 60% of the city’s total potable water supply from the Bearspaw Water Treatment facility to the city’s distribution network.

The rupture was due to wires snapping in the nearly 50-year-old prestressed concrete pipe. After assessing the integrity of the rest of the emptied feeder main, five additional critical repair areas were identified. Residents and businesses were urged to reduce water consumption as much as possible over the following 4 weeks so that critical repairs could be made.

Thousands of homes and businesses faced severe water restrictions only weeks ahead of the hottest time of year and the Calgary Stampede: an event seeing millions of visitors each year. Bringing the system back online as soon as possible would be vital to protect the health of the city’s residents, local environment, and economy.

STOPAQ® Wrappingband CZH and Outerwrap PE were selected to coat the exterior of the pipe and LifeLast® Durashield 310-61 was selected to coat the interior of the pipe and the butt strap weld areas.

Both systems were installed in only a few hours, avoiding delays due to long cure times, specialized applicator availability, or specific surface preparation requirements.

The city’s water supply was restored ahead of schedule and bolstered with protective coatings designed to outlast the life of the pipe itself.