Alberta Water Legislation, Regulations & Guidelines
Unless noted, sources for information listed below: Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
For complete text of the legislation mentioned below, and the most current version of these water regulations, see Queen’s Printer.
Water Act
The Water Act focuses on managing and protecting Alberta’s water and on streamlining administrative processes. The purpose of this Act is to support and promote the conservation and management of water, including the wise allocation and use of water, while recognizing:
- the need to manage and conserve water resources to sustain our environment and to ensure a healthy environment and high quality of life in the present and the future;
- the need for Alberta’s economic growth and prosperity;
- the need for an integrated approach and comprehensive, flexible administration and management systems based on sound planning, regulatory actions and market forces;
- the shared responsibility of all residents of Alberta for the conservation and wise use of water and their role in providing advice with respect to water management planning and decision-making;
- the importance of working co-operatively with the governments of other jurisdictions with respect to trans-boundary water management;
- the important role of comprehensive and responsive action in administering this Act.
Fact Sheets:
- Fact sheet: Approvals (98.26 kB)
- Fact sheet: Dugouts (34.11 kB)
- Fact sheet: Licences (58.21 kB)
- Fact sheet: Hydrostatic Testing of Pipelines (46.26 kB)
- Fact sheet: Transfer of Water Allocations Under a Licence (360.27 kB)
Water Regulations:
- Bow, Oldman, SSRB Basin Water Allocation Order (310.04 kB)
- Drinking Water Legislation
- Drinking Water Quality
- Oldman River Basin Water Allocation Order (284.55 kB)
- Water (Ministerial) Regulation (480.45 kB)
- Water (Offences and Penalties) Regulation (312.45 kB)
Codes of Practice:
- Water: Codes of Practice
- Code of Practice for Wastewater Systems consisting Soley of a Wastewater Collection System (176.25 kB)
- Codes of Practice for Hydrologic Tracing Analysis Studies (164.7 kB)
- Code of Practice for Tanker Trucker Washing Facilities (133.8 kB)
- Code of Practice for the Release of Hydrostatic Test Water (163.54 kB)
- Code of Practice for Wastewater Systems Using a Wastewater Lagoon (246.3 kB)
- Code of Practice for Waterworks Systems Using High Quality Groundwater
- Code of Practice of Outfall Structures on Water Bodies (214.46 kB)
- Code of Practice for Pipelines and Telecommunication Lines Crossing A Water Body (199.09 kB)
- Click here for the maps for the Code of Practice For Pipelines And Telecommunications Lines Crossing A Water Body
- Code of Practices for Temporary Diversion of Water for Hydrostatic Testing of Pipelines (48.21 kB)
- Codes of Practice for Watercourse Crossing (453.5 kB)
Standards & Guidelines:
- Boundary Waters Treaty (1909)
- Compliance Assurance Program
- Groundwater Evaluation Guideline (931.03 kB)
- Master Agreement on Apportionment (1969)
- Provincial Wetland Restoration Compensation Guide (302.89 kB)
- Soil/groundwater remediation guidelines
- Surface Water Quality Guidelines for use in Alberta (134.2 kB)
- Water conservation objectives
- Water Quality Based Effluent Limits (Procedures Manual) (464.77 kB)
- Wetland Management in the Settled Area of Alberta (An Interim Policy) (2.9 MB)
International Boundary Waters Treaty Act (Department of Justice Canada):
Disclaimer of Accuracy of Data – Although the information found on the WaterPortal has been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, can be made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information.