Calgary

Here is a Gemini summary as well which seems to confirm the claims but take it with a grain of salt; I'm not going to read the whole 80 page report.

The Final Report on the Bearspaw South Feedermain (BPSFM) failure outlines a history of systemic gaps in risk management and governance that left Calgary’s water system vulnerable. While a physical pipe failure occurred in June 2024, the panel concluded the root causes were organizational and cultural. The Root Causes

• Known Risks, Deferred Action: The risk of failure in the 1970s-era concrete pipe (PCCP) was identified as early as 2004, yet inspections and mitigation were repeatedly deferred in favor of other priorities.
• Fragmented Accountability: No single leader had end-to-end accountability for the Water Utility; core functions were split across multiple City departments.
• Low Redundancy: The BPSFM is a "single point of failure" carrying 60% of Calgary's water. Current system capacity cannot meet average daily demand (ADD) if the BPSFM or the Bearspaw Treatment Plant goes offline.
• Cultural Issues: A culture of "consensus-driven" decision-making led to a high tolerance for risk and a pattern of deferring difficult infrastructure choices. Urgent Recommendations (Crisis Mindset) To address the immediate risk of another catastrophic failure, the panel recommends:
• Emergency Repairs: Proactively repair or reinforce approximately 20 weakened pipe segments that show high wire-break counts.
• Accelerated Construction: Complete the steel pipe duplication of the BPSFM in 12–14 months (down from a 2029 target) using emergency procurement.
• Pressure Monitoring: Install transient pressure monitors immediately to prevent surges that could rupture weakened pipe. Near-Term Structural Reforms The panel proposes a three-step overhaul to be implemented within 12 months:
• Dedicated Water Department: Consolidate all core utility functions under a single Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Water with segmented financial statements.
• Expert Oversight Board (WUOB): Establish an independent board of five technical and financial experts to provide Council with unbiased advice on reliability and multi-decade planning.
• Future Corporatization: Within 36 months, transition the Water Utility into a Municipally Controlled Corporation (MCC) (similar to EPCOR), wholly owned by the City but managed with the discipline of a private utility. Next Step Would you like me to provide more detail on the specific financial targets or the proposed 12-month implementation roadmap?