Michael Thompson appointed acting COO for water utilities
City names infrastructure chief to lead 18-month water system overhaul starting June 22.
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The city has appointed Michael Thompson as acting chief operating officer for water utilities, effective June 22. Thompson, who currently serves as general manager for infrastructure services, will hold the role for 18 months.
Thompson's mandate focuses on implementing recommendations from the Bearspaw South feeder main independent review panel, which identified systemic gaps in operational accountability and oversight across Calgary's water system.
His duties include improving system reliability and operational performance, strengthening integration across planning, capital delivery, and operations, and establishing clear accountability for water services.
"This role is a key step in strengthening how the City delivers safe, reliable water services to Calgarians and managing risk across critical infrastructure systems," David Duckworth, chief administrative officer, said in a statement. "Michael has a clear mandate to improve performance and reduce risk."
The appointment comes as the city continues work on the Bearspaw South feeder main replacement, a critical infrastructure project tied to a catastrophic break in 2024.