Alberta's growing population, communities, industries and agri-food sector are growing, and reliable access to water will be essential to sustaining that growth. That is why Alberta's government is launching work to examine what the province will need to strengthen water security over the next 100 years.

A request for proposals has been issued to develop a white paper examining the security of Alberta's water supply. The work will examine bold, practical and innovative opportunities to increase water availability, strengthen water management and help guide future infrastructure and investment decisions across the province.

"Water is the foundation of Alberta's future. If we want our communities, farms and industries to keep growing, we need to make sure the water is there to support them. We're looking 100 years ahead and asking what Alberta needs to build, invest in and do differently today to secure our water supply for generations to come."

Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

The white paper will take a comprehensive look at Alberta's long-term water needs and the tools that could help meet them. This includes potential new or expanded water storage and conveyance infrastructure, better use of groundwater, stronger water measurement and reporting, advanced modelling and forecasting, and policy tools that could improve how Alberta manages and moves water.

"Water is the foundation of Alberta's agriculture sector, our growing communities and our economy. As Alberta continues to grow, we need to take a long-term view of how we secure reliable water supplies for future generations. This white paper and the new forecasting models will provide valuable data and insight to help us explore practical solutions, strengthen water security and start an important conversation with Albertans, Indigenous communities, local governments and industry partners about how we meet our future water needs in a responsible and sustainable way."

Tara Sawyer, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

The work will also examine potential partnerships and funding models that could help deliver major future projects.

Ideas identified through the white paper will not automatically proceed. Potential projects would still require detailed technical assessment and considerations before decisions are made.

"Alberta is growing, and we need to make sure our infrastructure keeps pace. That means planning for the water needs of growing communities, investing in the infrastructure and making sure Alberta has a reliable water supply for generations to come."

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

Alberta's government will work with local governments, Indigenous communities and organizations, industry associations and Albertans as the province considers how to turn the long-term vision into action.

At the same time, Alberta is investing in better tools to understand where water is available, where demand is growing and how conditions could change.

Two new water-modelling and forecasting projects are underway. Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. will develop a watershed-scale water-demand forecasting model for the South Saskatchewan River Basin, covering municipal, irrigation, livestock, industrial and commercial water use.

Aquanty Inc. will operationalize existing HydroGeoSphere models for the Peace and Athabasca river basins, supporting near-real-time, short-term and seasonal hydrological forecasting in northern Alberta. Both projects are expected to be completed by March 2027.

Together, the 100-year water security work and new modelling tools will give Alberta better information to plan major investments, respond to drought and changing conditions, and ensure water remains available to support communities and economic growth well into the next century.

Quick facts

• Alberta plans to allocate $400,000 from the 2026-27 Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation water-availability budget to develop the white paper. 
• The white paper is expected to be completed in spring 2027. 
• The white paper will respect Alberta's transboundary water obligations, Indigenous perspectives and treaty rights, and jurisdictional authority. 
• The white paper will not include reviewing Alberta's commitment to:
  • Alberta's priority system for licensed water allocations, based on the principle of first in-time, first-in-right (FITFIR).
  • The ability to transfer water licences in basins with approved water management plans.
  • The ability for inter-basin transfers to be approved by the legislature by special act, minister (lower risk) or cabinet (in emergencies).

Alberta's 2024-25 water-availability engagement identified interest in natural solutions, new large-scale reservoirs and smaller community-oriented storage. It also found differing views about inter-basin conveyance and large engineered storage.

Related information

• Request for proposals