Province says Water Act changes would cut red tape, easing use and sharing agreements

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on October 31, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

If passed, Bill 7 will make changes to the province’s Water Act, which aims to make it easier for Albertans to use and share water.

The bill would allow for licensing changes to improve water access and use, as well as set mandatory timelines for reviewing applications. The idea of these amendments is to let holders easily adjust their licence and bring all their allocations under one licence, in order to adapt to conditions on the ground and maximize how effectively water is used.

“These changes come directly from farmers, ranchers, municipalities, Indigenous communities and others who rely on water every day,” said Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA and water advisory committee chair Justin Wright. “As chair of the Water Advisory Committee, I’ve heard firsthand how critical these updates are. Bill 7 will make our system stronger and more efficient and make more water available for where it’s needed most.”

What is not changing, says the province, is the foundation of Alberta’s 120-year-old water system. But the Water Act has not been meaningfully changed since 1999.

“For years, irrigators have asked for changes to make it easier for licensees to use and share their water in a timely way,” said Alberta Irrigation Districts Association chair Richard Phillips. “These changes will help reduce the red tape that slows us down and make it easier for Albertans to maximize the water we have available each year.”

There will be no reductions or clawbacks in allocations for existing licences, says the province, and Alberta’s water licence priority system based on the principles of first-in-time, first-in-right, will remain.

Amendments will also make it easier for Alberta communities and others to use rainwater from rooftops and to reuse wastewater. Proposed changes will broaden the definitions and allow the use of alternative sources of water, giving the government the ability to set future policy.

It would also set clear expectations regarding measurement and reporting for licence holders, as well as define a new category of lower-risk inter-basin transfers that could be approved by a ministerial order, not a special act of the legislature, says the province.

“Alberta has a growing population and thriving economy. After 25 years without change, Bill 7 will modernize the Water Act so farmers, businesses and communities can better use and share water and keep Alberta’s momentum going,” said Associate Minister of Water Grant Hunter.

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