CALGARY – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is laying Calgary’s latest water problems squarely at the feet of her chief political rival.
Smith says the city failed for years to check on the state of the troubled Bearspaw South Feeder Main dating back to the time Naheed Nenshi was Calgary’s mayor.
Nenshi is now the head of Alberta’s Opposition NDP, and his office did not immediately reply to the criticism.
The feeder main supplies 60 per cent of the treated water for the city.
It ruptured this week for the second time in less than two years, forcing Calgarians and those in surrounding municipalities to once again conserve water while fixes are made.
Smith says her government will look into whether more oversight is needed for municipal water utilities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2026.
