Another water main break in Calgary leaves homes without supply, officials say not linked to June rupture

City officials in Calgary are working to repair a new water main break that has left several homes and businesses without supply, though they stress the incident is not related to the major feeder main rupture that caused widespread restrictions earlier this year.

Ryan Kidd, Calgary’s deputy director of water services, said the break occurred on a smaller 250-millimetre cast-iron distribution line near Bowness Road and 51 Street Northwest. The problem was first detected Sunday night when water began bubbling to the surface.

Crews immediately shut down the affected line and began repairs. Kidd said the city expects to restore water within 48 hours for most affected customers.

The latest incident comes just months after a June 5 rupture in a massive feeder main that supplied nearly 60 per cent of Calgary’s drinking water, forcing the city into months of emergency restrictions. Repairs on that line and subsequent breaks extended until late September.

Kidd added that the recently damaged pipe was installed in 1959, noting that Calgary typically experiences more than 200 water main breaks each year, many involving older infrastructure.