Upgrades to the McKenzie Sanitary Siphon are set to begin in mid-September. As part of the first stage of construction, microtunnelling shafts will be built on both sides of the Bow River to enable the installation of a new sanitary pipe beneath the river.

Construction activities will occur primarily within Fish Creek Provincial Park, in the park space west of Mt. Belcher Place SE, south of Deer Side Drive SE, and east of Bow Bottom Trail SE. Before construction begins, preliminary exploratory utility work will be conducted in the area.

The main haul routes are identified in the maps below; however, occasionally trucks transporting heavy-duty equipment will travel through the McKenzie Lake Boulevard, Bow River Pathway and Mountain Park Drive communities to access the work site. 

Construction notices will be delivered to affected businesses and residents throughout the project that detail specific impacts and timelines. Additionally, please visit this project page regularly for the latest information on construction activities, project progress, and upcoming work.

The McKenzie Sanitary Siphon consists of an inlet chamber and two underground pipes that conveys wastewater flow beneath the river and through Fish Creek Provincial Park that help transport wastewater to the Fish Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. The Siphon is a critical component of the wastewater system, allowing wastewater from upstream communities to cross the river without interruption and preventing sewer backup in homes, businesses, and infrastructure. 

The system was built in 1980 and now requires upgrades which will enhance the system’s reliability and capacity to prevent sewage backups during heavy rainfall events.

Construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2026 and is expected to be completed in fall 2027. Most of the upgrade work involves trench excavation to install two new sanitary pipes. Microtunnelling will be used to install the siphon pipes under the river. 

This project is separate from the Fish Creek Wastewater Plant Upgrade project, but will contribute to efficiently transporting wastewater to the plant.

• Provides resiliency to our wastewater system through installing these new pipes and using the existing pipes as redundancy. This means if the new pipes become inoperable due to an emergency, the existing pipes can be temporarily brought back into service so wastewater can continue to flow to the treatment plant.  
• Adds capacity to the wastewater system to address current and future population growth.
• Ensures wastewater flows freely to the treatment plant where it is cleaned  before releasing into the river, preventing backups in high-flow conditions.