Opposition to Water Act Amendments and Lack of Consultation

The Government of Alberta is currently considering amendments to the Water Act that would allow for inter-basin transfers of water without the oversight of Cabinet, public participation or Indigenous consultation. This raises significant concerns about transparency and accountability in water management decisions being made by the province. Currently, the Water Act lacks clear definitions or criteria for what constitutes a water-related emergency, as well as the conditions required to justify water transfers. The vague language in the Act grants considerable discretion to director-level decision-makers .

Water management, governance, and allocation in northern Alberta have remained limited compared to other regions of the province. Before considering amendments to the Water Act to ease water transfers in Alberta, the provincial government needs to conduct a thorough assessment of the potential environmental and economic implications of the transferring of water, including the effects it would have on ecosystems, communities, and existing water systems across the province.

The proposed amendments have the potential to deplete water sources, permanently disrupt ecosystems, and alter  water cycles. This is even more concerning if the government is focused on developing alternative water sources, such as the collection of rainwater without fully considering  the broader implications of these measures.

The province must also prioritize quantifying Alberta’s overall water supply before moving forward with policies that re-allocate water between regions. As an upstream jurisdiction, British Columbia has considerable control over water flowing into Alberta, particularly the Peace River. Without proper interprovincial water agreements in place, the Alberta government risks enacting legislation that will transfer water without fully understanding the availability of this resource.

Despite the Government of Alberta engaging the public on water management from October 31, 2024 to January 24, 2025 and the announcement of a 3-year, $4 million study to fully map groundwater in southern Alberta, significantly more consultation and due diligence is needed. Municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other key stakeholders must be meaningfully involved in these discussions.

Additionally, water efficiency measures and sustainable water practices need to be implemented in the southern regions of the province before any consideration is given to inter-basin water transfers as such actions would have lasting, detrimental effects on local economies and ecosystems across the province – especially in the absence of any thorough environmental impact assessments being done to fully understand the long-term consequences of diverting water from  Alberta’s northern regions.