Glenmore Water Treatment Plant Expansion

To support Calgary’s rapid population growth and increasing water demands, new infrastructure at the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant is required to ensure the resiliency of Calgary’s water treatment and distribution systems. The upgrades include a new treated water storage reservoir (called a “clearwell”), a high-lift pump station, and an electrical building.
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These upgrades will support Calgarians in the following ways:

• Increasing redundancy in our water treatment and distribution systems
• Supporting maintenance of aging infrastructure and emergency situations
• Improving treatment plant maintenance efficiency, reducing long-term costs
• Enhancing treatment plant security and safety

 
Projects and construction will take place in phases over the next several years:

• 2025–2026 (Phase 1): Raw Water Pump Station upgrades (mostly within the existing pump station). Further phases are pending design.
• Late 2025–2026: Site grading and access work that will directly impact the Safety City location
• 2027–2029: Construction of a new electrical building
• 2028–2031: Construction of a new reservoir and high-lift pump station

 
The City is sensitive to the impact this work may have on user groups in the area and is working diligently with affected stakeholders, including the Calgary Bike Track League (CBTL), Velodrome users, and Safety City. Expansion plans for this project have been communicated over the past five years. City Administration delayed construction to ensure users could retain a full operational season in 2025, as their lease was set to expire in April 2025.

Community spaces-such as the Glenmore Velodrome, Safety City, and others-have been made possible over the years because the City allows land designated for future infrastructure projects to be used in the interim with the understanding that these lands will eventually transition to their intended purpose when infrastructure development is ready to proceed.

The area leased by Safety City—and additional surrounding space—is needed to support infrastructure projects related to both the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant expansion and the future redevelopment of Glenmore Athletic Park. Real Estate and Development Services (REDS) continues to explore City-owned sites as potential new locations for Safety City. Finding suitable inner-city land is a challenging task, and Administration continues to offer this in-kind support. For more information on leasing City-owned land, please visit: Interim uses of City-owned land.
 
Councillor Penner has met with City project teams and representatives from Safety City on multiple occasions. In addition, Councillor Penner and the Ward 11 office have guided Safety City toward grant opportunities and potential partner organizations, and continue to offer support, including letters of endorsement and information about new grants as they become available. We are also open to sharing Safety City’s fundraising efforts with the broader community and await their requests and relevant links to do so.
 
With two cell towers located on-site, the Ward 11 office has also collaborated with REDS to explore the possibility of securing a one-time lease payout to assist Safety City with relocation costs. We understand these costs are significant and continue to suggest fundraising strategies, grant opportunities, potential partners and future in-kind contributions from the City, should a new site be secured.
 
Balancing the needs of a growing city with those of user groups on City-owned land is never an easy task. We remain committed to supporting both Water Services in delivering safe and reliable water to all Calgarians and the user groups seeking to lease land from the City.

Draft of the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant expansion

Additional resources:
Bearspaw South Feeder Main
Capital Projects Map | City of Calgary map gallery
Interim uses of City-owned land
​Redevelopment of Glenmore Athletic Park
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