Calgary council debates Enmax-style water utility proposal

Calgary Councillors Debate Future of Water System Oversight

Some Calgary city councillors are opposing the idea of an Enmax-like corporation, owned by the city, to manage its water system in the future.

An independent panel made this recommendation to the council on Wednesday. This was part of a review of the severe break of Calgary’s Bearspaw feeder main in 2024, which caused months of water restrictions.

The report came just one week after the pipe experienced a second major rupture. The city stated that the pipe is very vulnerable to more failures.

Panel Recommendations

The panel suggested an accelerated timeline to build a new pipe. They also recommended that Calgary consolidate oversight of its water system into one dedicated department, led by a chief operating officer.

In a few years, the panel proposed that this department should become a municipally controlled corporation, similar to Edmonton’s utility company EPCOR or Calgary’s electrical provider, Enmax.

The panel noted that Calgary’s system has lacked clear accountability, leading to delayed inspections and maintenance. They argued that a new corporation would be a separate legal entity, fully owned by the city, and governed by an independent board of experts.

Council’s Response

Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to start implementing the panel’s recommendations. Mayor Jeromy Farkas urged to spare no expense in enacting all the recommendations and not to “cherry-pick” among them.

However, longtime Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot criticized the idea of a standalone corporation for water oversight. He expressed concerns about the administrative costs of creating a wholly-owned subsidiary.

“To go to the level of creating a wholly owned subsidiary, because of six kilometres out of how many thousands of kilometres of pipe do we have?” Chabot said on The Calgary Eyeopener on Friday.

Alternative Suggestions

Chabot, who has been on council since 2004, suggested a single water department within the city with its own general manager. This would save Calgary money while still providing better oversight, supported by an external body for a second opinion.

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness stated that the city is getting ahead of itself by discussing high-level oversight and restructuring. She emphasized the need to focus on repairing and twinning the Bearspaw main.

Wyness expressed concern about the potential costs to residents and what a new utility corporation would mean for their monthly water bills.

Council Opinions on Water Oversight

Ward 11 Coun. Rob Ward believes drastic change is necessary for the city’s water oversight. He stated, “The current governance model is not working and it’s how we got into the situation we’re in now.”

Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly, who ran on the platform of managing Calgary’s water system like Enmax, said improving water infrastructure is a top priority.

Kelly mentioned that Calgarians want stable infrastructure. He stated, “If we don’t have that, then we can’t trust, we can’t do anything else beyond that.”

Future Management Models

On Friday, Kelly said he is open to other models, such as a dedicated department within the city or an arm’s-length oversight body like the Calgary Police Commission. However, he insists that management of Calgary’s water system should be centralized.

Both Kelly and the independent panel argued that the new recommendations could be implemented without raising residents’ water rates.

Monica Emelko, the Canada Research Chair in water science, technology, and policy at the University of Waterloo, stated that no single governance model is best for municipalities. She emphasized the importance of listening to experts and ensuring proper funding for maintenance.

Conclusion

Emelko remarked, “The pipe network in the ground that we rely on to get water to our taps is a small marvel of engineering.” She added that it takes time and funding to maintain this system.