Every Drop Counts: Alberta’s Water Future
You know what they say – Whiskey is for drinkin’ but water.. that’s for fightin’! As sure as the day is long, the debate about how to manage Alberta’s precious water resource has been central to Alberta’s prosperity and public policy discussions -- from supporting vital prairie irrigation a century ago, to sustaining today’s cities, industries, and ecosystems. The province’s primary water law, the Water Act laid the foundation for how water is allocated and licensed, maintaining the century-old first-in-time, first-in-right (FITFIR) system while introducing conservation measures, game changing for its time.
In 2003, Alberta introduced the Water for Life strategy to guide policy beyond licensing and allocation. Its vision emphasized safe drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and reliable supplies for a sustainable economy. Water for Life stressed the importance of partnerships, watershed planning and conservation. It is worth noting that these ideas complemented, but did not alter, the Act’s legal framework.
Fast forward to 2025 and Alberta faces a new set of challenges and opportunities. Population growth, industrial demands and recurring droughts (to name just a few things) are straining the system and acting as a catalyst for further discussion. With new industries coming online and demands for more water usage swirling, the provincial government launched a consultation process in late 2024 focused on water management and water availability.
Phase 1: Led by the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, the Ministry hosted townhalls and consultations from November 2024 to January 2025. Minister Rebecca Schulz invited Albertans to share ideas on water availability. Participants highlighted issues like conservation, efficiency, licensing flexibility, and the potential use of alternative water sources such as rainwater or treated wastewater.
Phase 2: Running through spring 2025, the phase presented specific proposals for amending the Act. These included streamlining transfers, expanding reporting requirements, introducing “good standing” provisions and more. Importantly, the government pledged not to alter the FITFIR priority system or introduce water pricing—changes that many stakeholders had voiced concern over.
I attended an industry specific session in Lethbridge during stage two of the consultation process. If one thing was for certain it is this: Albertans, and especially agricultural producers, are passionate about water management. While reactions to the government’s proposals have been mixed, it was clear, at the session that I attended, that the Government of Alberta has eased some concerns, especially with the preservation of FITFIR and pledging to protect current license holders from claw backs on current or historic allocations.
Groups such as the Environmental Law Centre and Southern Alberta Group for the Environment argue the proposed changes focus too heavily on increasing water availability, with a question about commodification of a precious resource, with less-than-ideal safeguards for rivers and aquatic ecosystems. They have called for a Water Commissioner role to enforce instream flow protections and ensure ecological integrity is not sacrificed.
This debate illustrates the enduring tension at the heart of Alberta’s water management: balancing economic growth and existing water rights with the need to protect fragile river systems, while respecting the rights of irrigators, municipalities and Indigenous communities. While the Water Act provides the legal backbone, and Water for Life offers a complimentary guiding vision, the 2025 consultations represent an opportunity to align the two more closely, moving forward.
It's also worth mentioning that, in the spring of 2025, Premier Danielle Smith signalled an emphasis on water. With a dedicated associate ministry of Water, located within the ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, Grant Hunter (MLA for Taber-Warner) was brought back into the cabinet room, taking on this most important file. While his mandate letter is forthcoming, one can assume that he will play a key role in any coming legislation or further consultation, moving forward.
With the fall sitting of the Alberta Legislature on the horizon, and a Speech from the Throne coming on October 23 signalling the government’s upcoming priorities, Albertans will be watching with anticipation. The question remains whether Alberta will seize this chance to modernize its water governance for a hotter, drier future, or whether incremental adjustments will be made, leading to further discussion and, you guessed it, more consultation.