A water-main break in northwest Calgary caused significant flooding Tuesday night, shutting down major roadways and prompting emergency measures just blocks from the site of the city’s catastrophic feeder-main rupture in 2024.
The incident occurred near the Sarcee Trail and 16 Avenue N.W. interchange, where water surged up through the roadway and spread rapidly across surrounding streets, pathways and park areas. The flooding continued for more than two hours, with water levels rising nearly to the road’s median.
City officials said the location raised immediate concerns due to its proximity to last summer’s feeder-main failure, which severely disrupted Calgary’s water supply. In a statement, the city said initial assessments suggest the break may be linked to the Bearspaw South feeder main.
By 10:30 p.m., the city said it was evaluating water pressure to determine impacts on nearby communities. Calgary also activated its Municipal Emergency Plan and opened the Emergency Operations Centre in response to the situation.
Police were called to assist Calgary Fire Department crews around 8 p.m. due to road closures and reports of vehicles trapped by floodwaters. Authorities confirmed that 13 people were rescued from their vehicles, and no injuries were reported in the early stages of the response.
Several stranded vehicles were cleared by approximately 9:15 p.m., but traffic disruptions remained severe. Westbound 16 Avenue was closed between Home Road and Sarcee Trail for several hours, with police urging motorists to avoid the area.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the water infrastructure failure affected roughly 2,000 homes and 100 businesses, resulting in service disruptions and widespread closures. He asked residents to limit non-essential travel near 16 Avenue N.W. and Sarcee Trail to allow emergency crews to work safely.
By late evening, fire crews had handed control of the scene over to city waterworks. It was unclear whether the water supply had been shut off, but residents across several neighbourhoods — including Hillhurst, West Hillhurst, Eau Claire and the Beltline — reported low water pressure.
City officials said further updates would be provided once the full scope of the damage and service impacts becomes clear. An update was not expected before 6 a.m., and residents were advised to monitor online traffic and city alerts for the latest information.
