Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability Kate Rich Alberta Environment September 12, 2005
Need for Water for Life Alberta is facing a number of pressures on its water resources:
Economic growth
Population growth
Environmental factors
A strategy to effectively conserve, manage and protect water supplies, while maintaining a high quality of life for Albertans.
Economic & Population Growth Growth in selected Economic Indicators 174.6
Alberta Canada
146.4
62.0
In ve st m en t
G .D
.P .
50.4 40.4
Ex po rt s
Em pl
Po pu l
136.3
30.3 20.8
oy m en t
19.2 10.7
at io n
180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
% Change, 1992 - 2002
Changes in Bow Glacier Bow Glacier in 1898
…and in 2002
(Source: Graeme Pole, 2003)
Annual River Flows Where does Alberta’s water go?
87% flows north
13% flows east
0.1% flows south
On average, Alberta “generates” about 60 billion m³ of surface runoff annually
equivalent to 90 mm spread over entire province
The Solution – Development of Water for Life Involving Albertans…
Ideas Generation (November 2001) Public Outreach and Consultation (March and April 2002)
Minister’s Forum on Water (June 2002) Cross-Government Working Group (2002-2003)
Draft Water for Life (March 2003) Consultation (June 2003) Final Water for Life: Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability (November 2003)
… Shift to implementation
Water for Life – What is it? What it is… Confirmation of foundations in the Water Act Initiative to change the culture around water Cross-ministry initiative / commitment
What it is not… New legislation and regulations
Water for Life Signals a Change From process to outcomes From water management to watershed management From regulating to shared responsibility Alberta’s water management system is a shared responsibility.
Water for Life Outcomes Safe, secure drinking water supply Healthy aquatic ecosystems Reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy
Water for Life – Key Directions Knowledge and research Partnerships for watershed management and stewardship Water conservation
Partnerships for Watershed Management and Stewardship Focuses on shared responsibility for watershed management Three types of partnerships that have distinct roles and are complementary to one another:
Alberta Water Council Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils Watershed Stewardship Groups
Partnerships for Watershed Management and Stewardship ¾ Alberta Water Council:
Advise on provincial water management issues
Steward implementation of Water Strategy
Develop water conservation targets
Identify research priorities
Wetland policy
Member Categories: Provincial Government Industry NGO Other Government
Partnerships for Watershed Management and Stewardship ¾ Watershed Planning & Advisory Councils
Major River Basins of Albert N
Develop watershed management plans
Promote best management practices
Report on state of the watershed
Oldman Bow North Sask. Peace Athabasca
Cold Lake-Beaver R. Battle Lesser Slave Red Deer Milk
Fort McMurray
Grande Prairie
EDMONTON
Major Basins Athabasca River Beaver River Milk River North Saskatchewan River Peace Slave / Mackenzie South Saskatchewan River 0
100
200
300
Red Deer
CALGARY
400 Kilometers
Lethbridge
Medicine Hat
Place-based approach Surface and Groundwater Allocations (2004) Athabasca River - 63% oil and gas - 3% agriculture South Saskatchewan - 1% oil and gas - 76% agriculture
Partnerships for Watershed Management and Stewardship Watershed Planning changing: … water management framework (allocation) to watershed planning (quality, land use impact, etc. integrated) … government-led planning to WPAC-led planning.
Water Conservation ¾Ensure water efficiency and productivity improves by 30% from 2005 levels by 2015. (Firm water conservation targets will be determined by the Alberta Water Council.) ¾Implement sector plans for water use improvements (oilfield injection)
understand current use by each sector; and
develop plans for improvement.
Advisory Committee on Water Use Practice and Policy During the public consultation phases of Water for Life (2002-2003), Albertans raised a number of concerns regarding water used for the enhanced recovery of oil (oilfield injection). Concerned about reductions in the availability of useable water (loss from the hydrologic cycle). Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee established.
Water Use for Injection Purposes in Alberta
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Location of Projects and Source W ater
Geowa Information Technologies, Ltd.
2004 - Alberta allocated 9.7 billion m3 Water Allocations in Alberta by Specified Use (Surface plus Groundwater, as of 2004)
Ag - Agricultural 1.8%
Ag - Irrigation 42.6%
Com - Commercial 6.4%
Com - Cooling 25.6%
Ind - Industrial (Oil,Gas) 5.3%
Ind - Drilling 0.14%
Ind - Injection 1.9%
Mun - Municipal 10.9%
Othr - Recreation 0.25%
Othr - Habitat 1.4%
Othr - Fish/Wildlife 0.31%
Othr - Water Mgmt. 3.3%
Othr - Other 0.03% To tal Licensed Vo lumes: 9,725,760,000 m³ (9,442,673,000 m³ Surface Water; 283,087,000 m³ Gro undwater)
Agriculture 44.4% Municipal 11%
Commercial 32% Oil&Gas 6.3%
Source Water Diversion for Oilfield Injection 1972 Oilfield Injection Total Volumes – Source Water
2001 Oilfield Injection Total Volumes – Source Water
Total Diversion = 69,497,060 m3
Total Diversion = 47,525,748 m3
Surface Water – 74% Non-Saline Groundwater – 24% Saline Groundwater – 2%
Surface Water – 57% Non-Saline Groundwater – 22% Saline Groundwater – 21%
Advisory Committee on Water Use Practice and Policy Recommendation “… a concerted effort must be made to reduce or eliminate, on a case-by-case basis, the use of non-saline water for underground injection.”
Advisory Committee on Water Use Practice and Policy Develop a more stringent regulatory process for underground injection applications and approvals. Identify and assess alternatives to nonsaline water sources (surface and groundwater). Review new applications and existing licences. Focus the highest urgency in “water short” areas, as part of ongoing water management planning
WATER SHORT AREAS •Areas naturally water short (less than 5 mm / yr runoff) •Development pressures (closed or potentially closed to new licences) •Potentially water short areas (yellow, orange)
Advisory Committee on Water Use Practice and Policy Incorporate oilfield use reduction strategies into the Provincial Water Conservation Plan to be overseen by the Alberta Water Council. Coordinate with the conservation schedule in Water for Life.
Implications for the Future Water Supply – tougher decisions to make because of limited and variable water supply, need to ensure maximum availability. Water Demand – need to start managing water demand as the population and economy continue to grow. Regional Differences – need provincial direction, regionally-based solutions. Planning and Decision-making – need better science-based information, improved reporting to the public, increased stakeholder and public involvement.
