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.”
Click here to see more...