Auditor general Doug Wylie found that Alberta has no water conservation objectives in most basins and does not know if existing ones are working
Alberta needs better planning, reporting and enforcement around surface water, according to a report released Wednesday by the province’s auditor general.
The 20-page report spells out several issues, including that Alberta Environment and Protected Areas has no water conservation objectives in most basins and does not know if existing ones are working.
“The department lacks effective processes to manage surface water allocation and use, and public reporting on surface water and the outcomes of surface water management is lacking,” the report states.
“With factors like climate change, population growth and economic expansion, water resource pressures could be significantly changing.”
Establishing a process
Auditor general Doug Wylie made three recommendations, including for the ministry to establish a process to determine when water conservation goals need to be developed, assessed and updated.
“There are no procedures for collecting relevant data, evaluating water availability using licensing and other information, assessing risks, implementing required measures or evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures,” the report read, noting that failing to address those issues could come with widespread consequences.
“That could lead to higher costs, shortages of goods and an inability to meet future water needs for people, businesses and the economy,” it states.
Better monitoring and more reporting
Wylie also recommended improved monitoring for compliance and licensing, and more accessible public reporting, saying information was often not easily reviewable by the public.
“It requires manipulation of data and may therefore be inaccessible to the average person,” the report said.
Alberta has seven major river basins, but Wylie’s report points out that only two of them fully operationalized water conservation objectives — and those were finalized nearly two decades ago.
The report also details how a provincewide supply and demand estimate has not been conducted in 16 years, and prior expert recommendations to regularly model climate change effects on surface water have been ignored. It points to a further lack of key information for planning, including stakeholder feedback and the licensing process.
“There is no process to track, evaluate, and communicate such information for decision-making,” it said.
Environment minister responds
The office of Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz issued a statement, saying it takes Wylie’s recommendations seriously and was working to maximize the province’s water supply.
It pointed to $18.5 million in last February’s budget that is planned to be used to review the province’s water management and regulatory system. It said water conservation objectives are already in place in areas with high water demand or where shortages are more common.
“Alberta’s long-standing water allocation and management system has and will continue to serve the people of our province as we continue to look for ways to improve and modernize the way we manage and conserve water in Alberta for years to come,” Schulz said.
NDP weighs in
Opposition environment critic Sarah Elmeligi said in a statement she is “deeply concerned” by Wylie’s findings, adding it shows the government has been negligent.
“All Albertans should be concerned by this government’s lack of transparency in revealing the true extent of Alberta’s water crisis,” she said.
“Climate models show that Alberta is likely to become hotter and drier, especially in the late summer. Establishing water conservation strategies and actions now is essential.”
The audit examined the processes from Jan. 1, 2019, to Nov. 30, 2022.